California Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week that his state will intervene if President-election Donald Trump eliminates the electric vehicle tax credit passed under President Joe Biden.
“Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong – zero-emission vehicles are here to stay,” Newsom said in a statement on Monday. “We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California. We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute.”
Reportedly, if the incoming Trump Administration eliminates the federal ZEV tax credit, Newsom will propose creating a new version of his state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which was phased out last year (via The Hill):
Under the current law, consumers can receive a tax credit of up to $7,500 for a new electric, plug-in hybrid or fuel cell vehicles and up to $4,000 for a used one. Trump has previously said he hasn’t made up his mind on the tax incentives, which were part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
“I’m not making any final decisions on it,” Trump said in August. “I’m a big fan of electric cars, but I’m a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along.”
Earlier this month, Newson traveled to Washington, D.C. to “protect” California’s policies from President-elect Donald Trump.
As Townhall reported, Newsom sought a $5.2 billion reimbursement for emergency funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, updates to California’s Medicaid program, and other priorities during a meeting with the Biden administration. Another item on the agenda was discussing policies surrounding zero-emission vehicles.
Additionally, after Trump’s election victory, Newsom called a special session with state lawmakers. As Sarah covered, this was meant to devise a plan to fight against federal policies that impact abortion, illegal immigration, so-called “climate change,” among many others.