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WASHINGTON D.C. (WSAU) – Following former President Trump’s comments stating that the U.S. auto industry will see a “bloodbath” if he is not elected during this fall’s presidential general election, his campaign is now promising voters that he will reverse the Biden Administration’s recent EV mandate if elected.
According to Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt during an interview with Fox News the EPA’s proposal will bankrupt American customers, ruin autoworkers’ livelihoods, and only benefit the Chinese government.
“Joe Biden’s extreme electric vehicle mandate will force Americans to buy ultra-expensive cars they do not want and cannot afford while destroying the US auto industry in the process,” said Leavitt. “This radical policy is anti-jobs, anti-consumer, and anti-American.”
“It will destroy the livelihoods of countless US autoworkers while sending the US auto industry to China. President Trump will reverse Joe Biden’s extreme electric vehicle mandate on Day One,” Leavitt added.
The New York Times reports that the Environmental Protection Agency’s new tailpipe pollution regulations call for 56% of all vehicles sold to be electric and 16% to be hybrids. In 2023, a record 1.2 million electric vehicles were sold nationwide; however, this amount accounted for only 7.6% of all vehicles sold, leading manufacturers such as Ford to cut back production on their recently introduced electric F-150 Lightning.
President Biden spoke about the EPA’s latest regulations, saying, “Three years ago, I set an ambitious target: that half of all new cars and trucks sold in 2030 would be zero-emission,” and “I brought together American automakers. I brought together American autoworkers. Together, we’ve made historic progress. Hundreds of new factories have been expanded across the country. Hundreds of billions in private investment and thousands of good-paying union jobs. And we’ll meet my goal for 2030 and race forward in the years ahead.”
These regulations come as Gov. Tony Evers signed a recent bill that will seek to set up an electric vehicle charging network along Wisconsin’s interstate system, which Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson praised, saying, “Electric vehicle drivers in Wisconsin will soon be able to travel about 85 percent of our state highway system and never be more than 25 miles away from a charger.”
A 2023 Gallup poll found that 41% of respondents would not buy an EV, while 43% would consider it. Cost remains the primary concern for most consumers, with Kelly Blue Book’s most recent data indicating that the average EV currently costs $55,353, and the average driver spends $56 a month charging an EV at home. However, that figure does not account for stops at far more costly fast chargers while traveling.
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