U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday took action against the electric vehicle (EV) policies introduced by his predecessor, Joe Biden, revoking a 2021 executive order that aimed for electric vehicles to account for 50% of all new vehicle sales by 2030. The target, which was non-binding, received support from both U.S. and foreign automakers.
Trump’s executive order includes halting the distribution of unspent government funds from a $5 billion fund meant for expanding vehicle charging stations. Additionally, the order calls for the ending of a waiver that allowed states to implement zero-emission vehicle rules by 2035. Trump’s administration also plans to review EV tax credits, with the possibility of ending them. “We’re looking at eliminating unfair subsidies and other government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies,” Trump said in the order.
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Trump also directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider more stringent emissions standards, which require automakers to sell between 30% and 56% electric vehicles by 2032 to comply with federal emissions rules. The rules were part of a broader strategy for reducing emissions set by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation. “The EPA should terminate, where appropriate, state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles,” Trump stated.
Furthermore, Trump is seeking the repeal of a waiver granted to California in December by the EPA, which allows the state to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035. The rule has been adopted by 11 other states.
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The Trump administration had previously discussed the potential repeal of the $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric vehicles as part of wider tax-reform measures. Trump, who campaigned on ending Biden’s “EV mandate,” has consistently emphasized his goal to increase U.S. oil production while rolling back Biden’s clean-energy initiatives, which include wind and solar subsidies as well as the mass production of hydrogen.
