Former President Trump’s campaign has criticized the Biden administration’s newly finalized regulations targeting gas-powered cars, claiming that they would force Americans to buy expensive electric vehicles (EV) and reduce consumer choice. The campaign has vowed that Trump would immediately overturn the regulations if he wins the election rematch later this year. Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that “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 U.S. auto industry in the process.” The campaign argues that the policy is anti-jobs, anti-consumer, and anti-American, and it will harm U.S. autoworkers and send the auto industry to China.
Former President Trump has previously expressed concerns about the impact of the Biden administration’s climate agenda on blue-collar autoworkers. During the United Auto Workers strike last year, he emphasized that the best interests of American workers were his top concern and warned that a forced EV transition would destroy the U.S. auto industry.
Under the newly unveiled regulations, the federal government will enforce the most stringent tailpipe emissions restrictions ever finalized, with the goal of having most new car purchases be battery electric and plug-in hybrid by 2032. The administration expects that nearly 70% of new cars sold by 2032 will be zero-emissions or low-emissions vehicles. President Biden has stated that these regulations ensure the U.S. meets his goal of having 50% of new car sales be electric by 2030.
However, the regulations have faced criticism from various groups, including the energy industry, farm groups, consumer advocates, and Republican lawmakers. These critics argue that the regulations are too burdensome and will have a negative impact on industries and consumers. They also point out that EVs remain significantly more expensive than traditional gas-powered cars, even with federal and state subsidies.
It remains to be seen how the Biden administration will respond to these criticisms and whether they will make any adjustments to the regulations. As the debate over the future of the U.S. auto industry continues, both sides will likely continue to push their agendas and fight for their respective visions.
