Donald Trump says he wants to stop production of electric cars when he becomes president again

Former US President Donald Trump, who is currently facing 34 criminal charges, has said that if re-elected this autumn he intends to stop selling electric cars.

Here's What We Know

Trump has called on oil and gas executives to donate significant funds to his campaign in exchange for reversing the Biden administration's climate policies. If Trump is elected in November, he plans to repeal tailpipe emissions targets and significantly reduce tax credits for electric cars.

The auto market has changed dramatically since 2016, when Trump first became president. Despite his efforts, the electric car market has grown significantly over the past eight years. In 2016, only 159,139 electric cars were sold in the US, and in 2024 that number is expected to exceed 1.5 million, accounting for 10 per cent of all new cars in the country.

William Clay Ford Jr, executive chairman of Ford Motor, said the company's planning is longer term than the election timeline. Investment in U.S. manufacturing, spurred by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, will continue even in Trump's second term. Hyundai, for example, is investing $13 billion to produce electric cars in Georgia, a state that Trump nearly lost in 2020 by just 12,000 votes.

With billions in investment from carmakers, charger companies, dealer networks and advertising, it seems unlikely that Donald Trump will be able to stop the electric car market. Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular among consumers of both Republicans and Democrats.

Source: Gizmodo, The New York Times