Trump’s Hatred of EVs Is Making Gas Cars More Expensive

The article discusses how former President Donald Trump’s opposition to electric vehicles (EVs) and environmental regulations is paradoxically contributing to higher costs for gasoline-powered cars. While Trump has framed efficiency and climate policies as burdensome and costly, his administration’s rollback of vehicle emissions and efficiency standards has created regulatory uncertainty that complicates automakers’ planning and development processes. This regulatory “whiplash,” with standards tightening under Obama and Biden and loosening under Trump, forces car manufacturers to repeatedly adjust their strategies, increasing development costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers. As a result, new car prices have risen, with the average sticker price surpassing $50,000. Moreover, the Trump administration’s elimination of EV tax incentives and reduced support for domestic battery production have hindered the growth of the electric vehicle market in the U.S., further complicating the auto industry’s transition to cleaner technologies. The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent moves to weaken its authority to regulate vehicle emissions undermine efforts to reduce carbon pollution from