Cars Clips: February 10, 2025
Congress |
Senate GOP releases budget reconciliation blueprint — “House leaders met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, and according to Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), who got a readout of the meeting, administration officials are ‘looking to cut everything’ from the Inflation Reduction Act — ‘but they are open to considering things … and I find that to be encouraging.’ Carter, whose district has a $7.6 billion battery and electric vehicle plant, has been a key supporter of protecting at least some of the IRA incentives.” [E&E News, 2/7/25 (=)]
Department of Transportation (DOT) |
Trump administration pauses $3 billion marked for electric vehicle charging stations — “The Trump administration has paused a federal clean energy program to expand the country's network of electric vehicle charging stations, putting in limbo billions of dollars allocated to states with current and future projects for the foreseeable future. In a memo released Thursday, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) informed state transportation directors that the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program will be under review.” [NPR, 2/7/25 (=)]
Trump takes another step to stop plan to build electric vehicle charging sites — “The Trump administration took more steps last week to pull the plug on the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. The Federal Highway Administration notified state departments of transportation Thursday that it was rescinding all guidelines for the program it authorized two years ago to build 500 charging stations across the country while it reviews the guidelines to see how they meet the goals of the new administration. The letter said the agency also won’t review and approve annual deployment plans required from the states for the release of money to build more stations until it finishes further evaluation of the program in late spring.” [Pittsburgh Union Progress, 2/9/25 (=)]
Trump wants to halt the buildout of EV charging stations. Experts say it’s not so simple — “Experts are questioning President Donald Trump’s latest effort to slow the electric vehicle charging buildout in the U.S. In a letter Thursday night, the Trump administration directed states to stop spending money for EV charging infrastructure, funds they were allocated under former President Joe Biden. Trump has slammed federal funding for electric vehicle chargers as ‘an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.’” [PBS, 2/9/25 (+)]
Trump administration move to freeze EV charger funding confounds states — “A new federal order that freezes a Biden-era program to build a national network of electric vehicle charging stations has confounded states, which had been allocated billions of dollars by Congress for the program. In interviews Friday, some state officials said that as a result of the memo from the Trump administration, they had stopped work on the charging stations. Others said they intended to keep going. In Ohio, where Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has welcomed federal money to build 19 EV charging stations, Breanna Badanes, a spokesperson for the state’s Transportation Department, said Friday that ‘it’s safe to say we’re not sure’ how or whether the state will build more.” [New York Times, 2/7/25 (+)]
Trump Administration Pauses EV Charger Funding — “The Trump administration is putting a stop to a program supporting EV chargers, an initiative that has given Tesla tens of millions of dollars in funding. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the suspension of multiple grant programs, including the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. The announcement also said that the FHWA is halting the approval of all State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plans for the entire fiscal year. Following a review, the updated draft guidance is expected to be published later this spring. The fallout from the freeze on the EV industry is yet to be seen. A lack of sufficient charging infrastructure remains one of the bottlenecks to wider EV adoption.” [Dallas Express, 2/9/25 (=)]
Trump Is Freezing Money for Clean Energy. Red States Have the Most to Lose. — “So far, Republican-voting communities have benefited the most from that law. In the nearly three years since it was passed, private companies chasing the law’s tax breaks have announced plans to spend $165.8 billion to build factories that make solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and more, according to new data from Atlas Public Policy, a research firm. Roughly 80 percent of those investments are in Republican congressional districts, where they are creating a once-in-a-generation manufacturing boom.” [New York Times, 2/10/25 (+)]
Automakers urge USDOT to quickly restart federal EV charging program — “A group representing automakers and electric vehicle charging companies on Friday urged the U.S. Transportation Department to quickly restart a $5 billion government EV infrastructure program. On Thursday, the Trump administration said it was suspending the electric vehicle charging program and rescinding approval of state EV charging plans pending a new review. The Electric Drive Transportation Association, whose members include General Motors (GM.N), opens new tab, Toyota (7203.T), opens new tab, BorgWarner (BWA.N), opens new tab, EVGo (EVGO.O), opens new tab, Stellantis (STLAM.MI), opens new tab, Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab and others, said it urged the Trump administration ‘to quickly resume the critical work of the program and minimize uncertainty for states and their businesses, who have invested in infrastructure to serve local and national goals for advanced transportation.’” [Reuters, 2/7/25 (+)]
How Trump is braking EV charging — “Since President Donald Trump reentered the Oval Office, it’s been clear he wants to stop a $5 billion effort to build electric vehicle charging stations. Last week, his administration made clear how he’ll do it. In essence, Trump’s new secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, issued an order that attempts to turn back the clock on the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program as if none of the rules or decisions made by the prior president ever existed. Experts said that while the administration will likely face lawsuits and have to pay for charging stations anyway, the move would dampen consumer enthusiasm for EVs and send an ice storm through a program that was just starting to gain momentum after years of frustrating delays.” [E&E News, 2/10/25 (=)]
Vehicle & Engine Manufacturers |
Bloomberg | GM, Ford shares are cheap for a reason as risks pile up — “General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. are among the cheapest stocks in the S&P 500 Index. But that doesn’t make them buying opportunities, say Wall Street analysts, who are rapidly souring on the century-old carmakers’ shares as risks around their outlooks grow. The share of sell recommendations from analysts covering GM and Ford is currently at the highest level in at least a decade. More than 9% of analysts covering GM have a sell rating on the stock, the largest share since 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.” [Detroit News, 2/7/25 (=)]
After Years of Feasting on EV Subsidies, Elon Musk Is Now Content to Watch Them Die — “Donald Trump’s attempts to slash incentives for electric cars would cause sales of the vehicles to plummet, with this effort cheered on by a seemingly confounding supporter—Elon Musk, the billionaire chief executive of Tesla and erstwhile champion for action on the climate crisis.” [Mother Jones, 2/8/25 (+)]
How the Republican pushing EVs is thinking about Elon Musk — “Elon Musk is complicating Mike Murphy’s mission to make electric vehicles less political. Murphy, a veteran Republican consultant who’s advised lawmakers like John McCain, Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, launched the EV Politics Project in 2023 to study the growing divide between Democrats and Republicans on going electric. The group’s latest poll, a national survey of 600 voters conducted in November and released this week, honed in on how Musk’s foray into right-wing politics and his support of President Donald Trump is shifting perceptions of the world’s richest man and the EV market.” [Politico, 2/7/25 (=)]
Electric Vehicles |
Volkswagen EV stuns with nearly 600-mile drive on single charge: 'New efficiency milestone' — “Volkswagen has set a new benchmark in electric vehicle performance with its ID.7 Pro S model, which recently covered an impressive 585 miles (941 kilometers) on a single charge during a special efficiency test in Italy. That's a significant leap from its rated range of 441 miles (709 kilometers), proving how far EVs can go when designed with smart, efficient technology. And the best part? With less frequent charging, it will save on fuel costs and avoid costly maintenance, like oil changes. Plus, with no tailpipe pollution, it's a cleaner choice for the environment. For drivers tired of dealing with frequent trips to the gas station or mechanic, the ID.7 offers a more convenient and cost-effective alternative.” [The Cool Down, 2/8/25 (+)]
Car shoppers will love this new data on used-EVs' battery health — “Shopping for a used electric vehicle just got less stressful. The car-shopping sites Autotrader and KBB.com have begun publishing scores for the battery health of thousands of used electric vehicles. The information comes straight from the vehicles’ onboard diagnostic systems. The sites’ information is months ahead of a regulation requiring automakers make it easy for owners and shoppers to see a vehicle’s battery health on EVs starting with the 2026 model year.” [Detroit Free Press, 2/8/25 (+)]
States & Local |
EPA facing monumental battery cleanup after LA wildfires — “The Environmental Protection Agency is facing a monumental challenge clearing up batteries after the California wildfires, a task they’re calling the biggest lithium-ion battery cleanup in the history of the agency. Southern California is the nation’s biggest market for electric vehicles EV and hybrid cars. Each EV contains about 7 to 10,000 small batteries.” [The Hill, 2/8/25 (-)]
Trump puts up roadblocks to Colorado’s plan to build electric vehicle chargers along highways — “It’s been less than a month since a new Tesla fast-charging site opened behind the AC Hotel in Frisco. The location is meant to help electric vehicles make longer trips into the mountains. In its first few weeks of operation, users have raved about the station on Plugshare, a crowdsourced app where EV drivers rate and review chargers. Adjacent to Interstate 70, the site offers 12 high-powered charging stalls in an area near a grocery store and a brewery where drivers can kill time during a charging session. Built-in converters ensure Tesla-branded vehicles and almost every other EV model can plug into the bright white monoliths. The site is also Colorado’s first charging location funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, a $5 billion federal initiative to build chargers along highways nationwide.” [Colorado Public Radio, 2/8/25 (=)]
Trump has targeted EV charger funding. It leaves $4M for Maine in doubt. — “The Trump administration is rescinding federal funding to build electric vehicle chargers, leaving in doubt $4 million for Maine to build out a network, though a larger sum from Washington is unaffected, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said Friday. Federal transportation officials are taking aim at the National Vehicle Infrastructure program, a Biden administration initiative that financed up to 80% of eligible project costs, including the acquisition, installation and network connection of EV chargers. In all, a $5 billion program to build chargers on highways nationwide was halted by the U.S. Department of Transportation.” [Portland Press Herald, 2/8/25 (=)]
Michigan halts EV charger buildout as Trump freezes funding again — “The state of Michigan is pausing expansion of an electric vehicle charging network after the federal government ordered a spending halt as part of the Trump administration’s continued effort to block and reverse Biden climate polices. On Friday, Feb. 7, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said it was pausing the state’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan a day after federal officials ordered a halt on the $5 billion nationwide program to build EV chargers.” [Michigan Live, 2/8/25 (=)]
Trump Says He Might Use U.S. Transit Agency to ‘Kill’ Congestion Pricing — “But Mr. Trump, in a weekend interview with The New York Post, was vague about how he might try to stop the program. Options could include withholding federal transportation funds or revoking a key federal authorization to toll drivers. He also said that he was still in discussions with Gov. Kathy Hochul about the future of congestion pricing and other matters.” [New York Times, 2/9/25 (=)]
Why the red state of Utah is going green and embracing electric vehicles — “This past week, President Trump suspended a program to expand the country’s network of electric vehicle chargers. It’s the latest in his series of efforts to undo Biden-era policies encouraging EV adoption. But in some parts of the country, EVs and other low-carbon technologies are becoming more popular not because of government policies, but because they make economic sense. Ali Rogin reports.” [PBS, 2/9/25 (+)]
Research, Analysis & Opinion |
Opinion: It’s time to end the electric vehicle racket — “Because of their sleek, modern designs, a consumer might be led to believe that electric cars are also technological marvels. But, really, most of the purported conveniences and innovations of new EVs are already available in most standard gas-powered cars at a far cheaper price. They are, at best, a lateral technology for most consumers (if you never plan on driving in the cold or long distances.)” [Washington Examiner, 2/8/25 (=)]
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