President Donald Trump has taken decisive steps to dismantle the Biden administration’s electric vehicle (EV) policies, which he incorrectly refers to as a “mandate.” He signed an executive order aimed at weakening tailpipe emission standards, a move that poses significant threats to environmental progress.
These executive actions were part of a series of decisions made immediately after his inauguration on Monday, as he sought to reverse key achievements of the Biden administration. In his inaugural speech, Trump also declared a “national energy emergency”, aimed at relaxing environmental regulations and increasing corporate pollution.
Under the initiative titled “Unleashing American Energy,” Trump outlines his objectives:
(e) to abolish the “electric vehicle (EV) mandate” and enhance true consumer choice, essential for economic growth and innovation, by eliminating regulatory barriers to vehicle access; ensuring a fair regulatory environment for consumer vehicle choices; terminating, when suitable, state emissions waivers that limit sales of gasoline-powered cars; and considering the removal of unfair subsidies and government market distortions that favor EVs over alternative technologies, effectively mandating their purchase by individuals, businesses, and government entities, making other vehicle types less affordable;
Additionally, he announced a halt to funding for electric vehicle charging initiatives:
(a) All agencies shall immediately pause the distribution of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), including funds for EV charging stations made available through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. Agencies will also review their processes, policies, and programs for issuing grants, loans, contracts, or any other financial disbursements of such appropriated funds, ensuring compliance with the law and the outlined policy in section 2 of this order.
Trump is also directing agency heads to identify regulations that “impose an undue burden” on “consumer choice of vehicles,” likely targeting tailpipe emission standards:
Immediate Review of All Agency Actions that Potentially Burden Domestic Energy Resource Development. (a) Heads of all agencies shall examine all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, settlements, consent orders, and other agency actions (collectively, agency actions) to identify those that impose an undue burden on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources—focusing on oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels, critical minerals, and nuclear energy resources—or that are inconsistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this order, including restrictions on consumer vehicle and appliance choices.
Throughout last year’s presidential campaign, Trump frequently criticized an alleged “EV mandate,” vowing to reverse policies intended to make electric vehicles more affordable. However, such a mandate does not exist; instead, he is targeting regulations that incentivize EV sales while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Among the policies Trump is attacking are the federal tax credits for purchasing new or used EVs. Additionally, Biden allocated over $7 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act to enhance EV charging infrastructure and billions in manufacturing credits for companies establishing EV factories and battery facilities.
By loosening tailpipe emissions regulations, Trump is effectively permitting automakers to produce more polluting vehicles. This isn’t the first instance of such action; during his previous term, he directed the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back emissions standards implemented by the Obama administration.
Despite these changes, the auto industry has invested billions in EV development and is likely to continue its efforts. While EV sales have slowed recently, they remain popular among consumers. In 2024, US consumers purchased 1.3 million EVs, marking a 7.3 percent increase from the previous year, according to Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive. EVs constituted 8.1 percent of total sales of US cars and light trucks, a rise of 0.3 percent.
Burning fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, which intensifies extreme weather events such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. Transportation, including personal vehicle use, accounts for approximately 28 percent of all US greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA.
