Donald Trump garnered 15 electoral votes by winning Michigan on Election Day, another major victory that helped give the Republican candidate his second presidential term. Both he and the Democratic candidate, US Vice President Kamala Harris, spent a lot of time this fall campaigning in the critical swing state.
One of the consequences of this electoral peculiarity is that the candidates have talked a lot about electric cars and have dropped many hints about how the electric revolution could go during their governments. Detroit is the largest city in Michigan, the center of the American automobile industry and the spiritual home of workers in this sector.
Now Trump, with the backing of at least one Republican Senate, will regain control of the federal government, and it is clear that his administration will take a different approach to electric vehicles than his predecessor, complicating the industry’s position as it seeks to electrification.
Electric vehicles are not going away. But its future is much murkier than it was yesterday.
What Trump has said about electric vehicles
The president-elect has made contradictory statements about electric vehicles. During his nomination speech in July of this year, Trump promised to “end the electric vehicle mandate on day one,” referring to the Biden administration’s goal of converting half of all vehicle sales to EVs by 2030. The move, Trump promised, would save the American auto industry from “total destruction” and reduce car prices by thousands of dollars. Trump has called federal spending on electric vehicles and their chargers part of “the new green scam,” a play on the US Congress’ bipartisan “Green New Deal” funding package. Earlier this year, he told a Michigan audience that the industry’s emphasis on electric vehicles would make it easier for China to take over the global auto industry.
But Tesla CEO Elon Musk has proven to be a reliable supporter, advisor and money man for the president-elect. Trump, a transactional politician, seems willing to reward him. “I’m in favor of electric cars,” Trump said in August. “I have to be, because Elon supported me very strongly.” Tesla’s stock price soared 13% on Wednesday.
Then there are the positions of the conservative Heritage Foundation. The Project 2025 transition plan of the think tank right-wing has been disavowed by the Trump campaign, but can still provide scaffolding for the administration’s policies. In a report focused on the Department of Transportation, the organization criticized subsidies for electric vehicles, including tax credits, and new fuel economy standards that attempt to reduce vehicle emissions over the next decade.
What could happen
It is likely to be difficult and time-consuming for Trump and his allies to undo four years of EV support. Because many climate-related policies are enshrined in federal law, you will need Congress’s help to eliminate them. Electric vehicle tax credits could be an easy first target. Republicans didn’t like them. But the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation’s stricter greenhouse gas emissions rules, finalized this year, have received support from the auto industry. Pro-industry Republicans may not help Trump here. Any funding for factories building electric vehicles and batteries that is flowing to red states will not be easily withdrawn.
The Trump administration will have control over funding for the Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which has not yet been doled out. Targets could include what’s left of the money promised for a national electric vehicle charging network.
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