The US automotive industry is appealing to Washington lawmakers to gradually phase out electric-vehicle (EV) tax credits over several years, rather than abruptly ending them.
What Happened: Automakers such as General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) are among those advocating for the continuation of certain EV incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act passed under the administration of former President Joe Biden, reported Bloomberg. They propose a three-year phase-out period for these incentives to give them enough time to reduce battery and EV costs so that they can sell EVs at a lower cost without government support.
Now President Donald Trump‘s administration is contemplating the removal of policies favoring EVs, which could put these investments at risk. The automakers are also apprehensive about potential new tariffs that could significantly affect US car manufacturers.
GM CEO Mary Barra met with Trump recently and talked about tariffs and the potential impact of administrative policies on the U.S. auto industry. Meanwhile, Ford CEO Jim Farley told Bloomberg, “We’ve already sunk capital. And many of those jobs will be at risk if the IRA is repealed, [if] big parts of it [are] repealed.”
The IRA extends consumer tax credits for EV buyers and subsidies for U.S. battery manufacturers for ten years. Automakers are striving to retain as many of these incentives as possible.
However, this push for credits contrasts with Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk‘s stance, as he has advocated for the elimination of EV subsidies.
Why It Matters: The industry asserts that thousands of jobs are reliant on EVs and numerous EV and battery factories are situated in Republican states, forming the U.S. “Battery Belt”. These automakers have invested billions in constructing EV and battery manufacturing facilities in the U.S., backed by IRA subsidies. The U.S. has already allocated $200 billion to generate 200,000 electric vehicle-related jobs in 12 states, the American EV Jobs Alliance portal indicates.
With President Trump in office and Elon Musk pushing for government cost-cutting, the EV tax credit faces the risk of significant reductions.
Furthermore, a new wave of tariffs threatens to disrupt the auto industry, with US automakers caught in the middle. If tariffs on Canadian and Mexican auto imports are reinstated, car prices could increase by up to $3,000, according to Bloomberg. Tesla and other EV manufacturers are also resisting steep new tariffs on Chinese graphite, a critical battery component. These trade tensions could fuel cost inflation across the industry, threatening EV adoption.
Moreover, some EVs depend completely on tax credits to stay competitive. Hence, rolling back this incentive could force such car manufacturers to either absorb significant losses or discontinue the models altogether.
While the shares of General Motors have gained more than 18% over the year, Ford Motor stock has plunged over 29% in the same period.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
