6 hours Ago By The Canadian Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order promising to eliminate what he incorrectly labels “the electric vehicle mandate” imposed under former President Joe Biden. His order on Monday is consistent with pledges Trump made on the campaign trail to end what he calls a “preposterous” focus on EVs by Biden and other Democrats. The order, along with other steps expected in a second Trump administration, could slow U.
S. efforts to address climate change, much of which is caused by burning gasoline and diesel fuel that emit carbon dioxide and other planet-warming greenhouse gases. Here is a look at Trump's actions and what happens next.
What does Trump's executive order say about EVs? Trump's order said he would “eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) mandate” and promote true consumer choice, which is essential for economic growth and innovation, by removing regulatory barriers to motor vehicle access; by ensuring a level regulatory playing field for consumer choice in vehicles.” While there is no Biden mandate to force the purchase of EVs, the Democratic president's policies were aimed at encouraging Americans to buy them and car companies to shift from gas-powered vehicles to electric cars. Trump's order, entitled "Unleashing American Energy,'' revokes a non-binding goal set by Biden that EVs make up half of new cars sold by 2030.
The order also seeks to terminate a federal exemption that allows California to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. The federal waiver is important not only to California but also to more than a dozen other states that follow its nation-leading standards on vehicle emissions. Language in the order and others issued by Trump on Monday indicate he is likely to seek to repeal a $7,500 tax credit for new EV purchases approved by Congress as part of Biden's landmark 2022 climate law, as well as roll back Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency rules to tighten limits on greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution from passenger and commercial vehicles.
Trump’s order Monday was reminiscent of actions taken during his first term in the White House, when he rolled back tough vehicle emissions standards set under Democratic then-President Barack Obama. Did Trump address EV charging? In the executive order, Trump also put an immediate pause on billions of dollars in funding allocated for EV charging stations appropriated through the climate law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law approved in 2021..
