Donald Trump has promised to eliminate government backing for electric vehicles from the outset if he regains control of the White House.
Prior to the presidential election in November, the Republican candidate stated his intention to eliminate regulations that would phase out gasoline, diesel, and hybrid cars gradually. He also criticized electric car subsidies as a wasteful expenditure.
Trump has previously threatened to dismantle President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which provides $7,500 subsidies per electric vehicle, and has been a vocal opponent of emission regulations aimed at phasing out internal combustion engines over the next decade.
Addressing his party's national convention, he assured supporters: "I will revoke the electric vehicle mandate immediately, thus rescuing the US auto industry from potential ruin that is currently looming and saving American consumers substantial amounts of money per car."
He further added, "I support electric vehicles, but individuals should have the freedom to purchase gasoline-powered or hybrid cars if they choose. This change will be implemented on day one."
Besides targeting electric vehicles, Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, also pledged to terminate support for other environmentally friendly initiatives funded by President Biden. He criticized the use of taxpayer funds on green projects, labeling it as wasteful spending contributing to the inflation crisis.
In contrast to President Biden, Trump expressed openness to Chinese electric car manufacturers establishing operations in the US, provided they build their factories within the country. He emphasized the urgency of revitalizing the car manufacturing industry and imposing tariffs of 100% to 200% on non-compliant entities, warning that their products would not be marketable in the US.
Trump accused other nations of exploiting the US, resulting in job losses, revenue reduction, and the erosion of American businesses and workforce. His commitments coincide with the UK and European Union moving towards bans on the sale of new gasoline cars by 2030 and 2035 respectively.
Sir Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party secured a significant victory in the recent general election, pledged to accelerate the UK's ban to 2030 after it was previously postponed by Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.
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