Biden officials confident Trump can't disrupt EV momentum
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Biden officials are confident that EV momentum spurred by their policies will outlive any Trump administration rollbacks.
Why it matters: Opposition to EVs was central to Republicans' campaign rhetoric. It shaped tossup races in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania that went for President-elect Trump.
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who as a Trump adviser has already shown outsized influence on Congress' spending packages, backs ending EV tax credits.
- Such a move could hurt other manufacturers more than Tesla, the largest global EV producer.
Driving the news: The DOE and DOT's joint office on EVs has made "remarkable progress" in advancing EVs by building out a charging network and manufacturing supply chain, deputy Energy secretary David Turk told Axios.
- "When I get out of D.C., so much of this gets depoliticized, or, frankly, non-politicized — especially when it comes to jobs and manufacturing and battery facilities," Turk said, adding that consumers ultimately want options.
- The DOT has tailored discretionary grant programs and technical assistance to rural and low-income communities and people who may not have garages, added Polly Trottenberg, deputy secretary of transportation.
Between the lines: EV manufacturers are trying desperately to defend all that spending — and the 30D vehicle tax credit, one of the top targets for GOP repeal.
- Key to that pitch is that 30D "is essentially a mineral and battery component credit," said Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emissions Transportation Association.
- As the reconciliation lobbying push kicks up, that means automakers will be arguing that the credit incentivized not just EV manufacturing in GOP districts, but also domestic mining and processing.
- "It's incumbent on the industry to demonstrate the degree to which these are really good federal investments," Gore said at a recent roundtable.
Zoom in: The industry is also trying to communicate to Republicans that 30D serves as a demand signal for the manufacturing induced by 45X, one of a handful of IRA credits that Republicans generally like.
- Together, the credits provide a "lever" to scale up EV mineral production currently dominated by China, Gore said.
By the numbers: Easing range anxiety will be key to winning consumer support, Biden officials said.
- The administration has about $4.5 billion out the door supporting about 25,000 chargers in the works. That's on top of a few hundred federally funded chargers that are already operational, Trottenberg said.
- Another 206,000 publicly available chargers have been deployed with the help of the public and private sector, she said.
- As of Oct. 31, drivers in 61% of the most heavily trafficked corridors could access a charger every 50 miles, up from 38% in 2021, Turk said. He expects that to increase to 70% by the end of this year.
What's next: Turk said he and Secretary Jennifer Granholm plan to stress to Trump officials the importance of keeping the joint office.
- Trump transition officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
