Trump’s Backlash to EVs Is Making All Cars More Expensive — Including Ones that use Gas

The Trump administration’s anti-EV policies are driving up the cost of all types of cars, reports Umair Irfan in Wired. 

The rise in cost comes in part from the uncertainty brought about by a whiplash when it comes to federal regulations and incentives. “The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing companies like Ford, Toyota, and Volkswagen, sent a letter to the EPA in September saying that the administration’s moves and the repeal of incentives for electric cars mean that the current car pollution rules established under Biden and stretching out to 2027 ‘are simply not achievable.’” Although the Trump administration eliminated penalties for violations, carmakers are wary of making changes that would once again be reversed under a post-Trump government.

Meanwhile, the reversal of emissions standards could have long-lasting negative impacts. “Energy Innovation, a think tank, found that repealing tailpipe standards could cost households an extra $310 billion by 2050, mainly through more spending on gasoline.” According to Irfan, “Even the Trump administration’s own analysis of the effects of undoing the EPA’s greenhouse-gas emission regulations found that his moves would drive up gasoline prices due to more fuel consumption from less efficient vehicles.”