Trump Moves to Deny Americans Cleaner Vehicles

WASHINGTON (Jan. 21, 2025) - President Trump announcedexecutive actions today that could severely curtail the availability of federal incentives for electric vehicles and lead to the dismantling of standards that are helping drive the clean vehicle transition and saving drivers money at the pump.

An earlier NRDC analysisshows that repealing EPA standards and federal incentives could cost car buyers $6,000 more in lifetime fuel and maintenance costs, lead to a staggering additional eight billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions and result in $13 billion a year in additional health-care costs over the next 30 years.

The following is a statement from Kathy Harris, director for clean vehicles of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

"Electric vehicles are good for our health and good for our wallets. They save us money at the gas pump and on maintenance - and they eliminate the tailpipe pollution causing asthma, heart attacks and lung disease. Cleaner cars also help address the largest source of climate pollution, which is driving more damaging storms, heat waves and wildfires.

"There is no 'EV mandate,' but Trump's move to repeal existing standards and federal investments would be a huge blow to the U.S. auto industry - and bad news for American drivers. Fat-cat oil executives are the only ones cracking open the champagne about this one.

"Still, this is not the end of this story. The administration will need to follow the facts and the law in making any changes to the electric vehicle incentives or the federal vehicle standards and state waivers. Our lawyers are watching. If the administration tries to cut corners or ignore the law, they will end up in court."

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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).