
The incoming president is expected to undo many of his predecessor’s electrification and emissions policies
20 hours ago

- Military vehicle manufacturers have already invested in electric vehicles.
- The incoming president may repeal the mandate that government fleets consist only of electric vehicles by 2027.
Donald Trump is set to return to the Oval Office next month, and his transition team is already planning a number of changes that will broadly impact the entire auto industry. As we recently revealed, fuel efficiency standards could be significantly lowered, EV incentives could be eliminated, and the federal government and the U.S. military could be blocked from buying more electric vehicles.
As things stand, the U.S. government must buy more electric vehicles while replacing older gas-guzzling ones. Additionally, the government’s light-duty fleet must be entirely zero-emission vehicles by 2027. However, Trump is expected to rescind the directive. Additionally, he is expected to end Department of Defense (DOD) programs aimed at purchasing or developing electric military vehicles.
Read: What happens to GM’s new tactical truck when the Silverado ZR2 goes into full stealth mode
Several battery-electric or electric-assisted military vehicles have recently been developed. For example, in mid-2023, General Motors Defense unveiled a military concept vehicle based on the Hummer EV, called the eMCV. It comes with the same 212 kWh battery pack as the road-going Hummer, but adds a 12 kW diesel generator to help charge the batteries.
In October, General Motors Defense also unveiled a new “next generation” tactical vehicle based on the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD ZR2, equipped with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine and a pair of electric motors. An electric version of GM’s nine-passenger infantry shuttle is also in development. The U.S. Department of Defense currently also hopes to convert its entire non-tactical vehicle fleet to electric vehicles by 2035.

Broad industry changes
Documents from the incoming Trump administration reveal a proposal to reinstate fuel economy standards starting in 2019. This could increase the average allowable emissions per vehicle mile by 25%. Trump is also said to be targeting California and may take action to prevent the state from enacting stricter vehicle emissions standards. If he does, the 17 other states using California’s standards may have to fall in line with the rest of the country.
Electric cars also face a precarious future. Trump is widely expected to eliminate the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, which could trigger a decline in new electric vehicle sales nationwide. Reuters has also learned that the administration hopes to draw down any remaining funds from Biden’s $7.5 billion pledge to build an extensive network of electric vehicle charging stations across the country. Interestingly, Trump may eliminate the environmental reviews required for projects like charging stations, which means private companies may be able to open new stations faster.

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