Michael Ejercito
2025-01-21 13:56:25 UTC
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PermalinkTrump Pledges To Revoke E.V. Mandate in Direct Repudiation of Biden's
Platform
Trump may not be able to revoke the rules outright, but polls show that
most Americans don't support a mandate.
Joe Lancaster | 1.20.2025 3:00 PM
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Former First Lady Jill Biden, former President Joe Biden, President
Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump, are shown in profile, on
their way to the 2025 presidential inauguration. | Will Oliver - Pool
via CNP/CNP / Polaris/Newscom
(Will Oliver - Pool via CNP/CNP / Polaris/Newscom)
On Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second
term as outgoing President Joe Biden looked on. In his inaugural
address, Trump laid out a number of policies for his first day that
would effectively undo as much of his predecessor's legacy as possible,
including on green energy.
"Today I will sign a series of historic executive orders," Trump
announced, which he said would spark "the complete restoration of
America and the revolution of common sense." Alongside declaring a
national emergency at the U.S.–Mexico border, Trump said he would
declare a "national energy emergency" and double down on the production
of oil and gas, which he called "that liquid gold under our feet."
(Notably, the government issued more onshore drilling permits under
Biden than during Trump's first term.)
"With my actions today," Trump continued, "we will revoke the electric
vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge
to our great auto workers. In other words, you'll be able to buy the car
of your choice."
Unlike many of Trump's pledges, he may have the power to accomplish
this. The electric vehicle (E.V.) mandate stems from rules adopted in
2024 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that set acceptable
levels of tailpipe emissions. The regulations would effectively require
56 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States by 2032 to be
powered by electricity alone, with fewer than 30 percent using gasoline.
As president, Trump could appoint an EPA administrator who would pursue
an alteration or outright repeal of those rules. In a Senate hearing
last week, Trump's pick to head the agency, former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin
(R–N.Y.), declined to say whether he would roll back the E.V. mandate,
telling senators that "I am not allowed to prejudge outcomes going into
rulemaking."
Still, it's possible that Trump and Zeldin could be stuck with Biden's
rules. Any revocation must follow the process set out in the
Administrative Procedures Act (APA), the 1946 law establishing how
federal agencies make and enforce rules. During his first term, Trump
ended an immigration program enacted by his predecessor, Barack Obama;
the Supreme Court later reversed it, ruling that while he had the
authority to do so, his revocation had not followed the APA.
As a matter of policy, ending the E.V. mandate is not a bad thing: The
EPA rules effectively prioritized fully electric vehicles over hybrids,
even though demand shows that Americans are more comfortable with
hybrids that use less gasoline but can take long trips without being
completely dependent on public charging stations. Polls show that while
generally receptive to E.V.s, the public largely opposes a mandate.
True, climate change is a real problem that needs to be addressed. But
mandating the use of one particular technology over another is an
overreach of federal authority.
Besides, markets are more effective at developing technologies that
people will adopt, rather than simply mandating whatever is in vogue at
the time.
Much of Trump's Day One Agenda was devoted to simply unwinding his
predecessor's policies. But simply on a policy level, revoking the E.V.
mandate and allowing the market to decide the most effective method of
addressing climate change, is a positive step.