DONALD Trump has claimed the Democrats will “put us back 50 years” with its electric vehicle policy, as he looked to step up the divide between his energy policy and that of Kamala Harris in the final weeks of the election campaign.
At a Latino Americans for Trump event in Miami, Florida, the former president accused the Dems of having “no plan” and of wanting to make the US “all electric cars.”
Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable with Latino community leaders at Trump National Doral Miami resort in Miami, Florida, on October 22, 2024[/caption]
EVs have been a popular topic on the campaign trail (stock image)[/caption]
Kamala Harris speaks during a moderated conversation with former US Representative Liz Cheney in Brookfield, Wisconsin, on October 21, 2024[/caption]
He also claimed that $9 billion had been spent building eight charging stations, but seemed unable to provide a source for his statistics.
Trump said a group of truckers had come to see him “almost crying,” over the “crazy” plans to move over to electric trucks.
Speaking in Florida, a state Trump is favorite to win, he said that electric trucks would have to stop six times to recharge for a journey from New York City to Los Angeles.
Trump also said that the new electric trucks would be two-and-a-half times heavier than their older diesel counterparts, and that, as a result, “you would have to rebuild every bridge in America.”
He went on, “These guys are gonna all be put out of business, you’re not gonna have any truckers.”
Trump recounted a conversation with a trucker who told him that trucks had improved “every year, over 50 years,” but that “if we had to go to electric, we would go back more than 50 years, we would go back to 60 years.
“It would be worse than a truck from 50 years ago.”
He also brought up “blackouts and brownouts” affecting Harris’ home state of California, where plans are afoot to bring about more EVs than any other state.
EVs have been a polarizing topic leading up to the election as Republicans accuse Dems of wanting to enforce an EV mandate.
Trump has mentioned concerns about the EV takeover on the campaign trail before, and he even ran an ad in Michigan about it.
“Attention, autoworkers. Kamala Harris wants to end all gas-powered cars. Crazy but true,” the ad said.
Harris hit back at the claims in a rally in Flint, Michigan earlier this month, despite previously being open about supporting the move to EVs during her time in the Senate.
“And Michigan, let us be clear: Contrary to what my opponent is suggesting, I will never tell you what kind of car you have to drive,” Harris said.
Electric vehicles vs gas
Pros and cons of EVs vs gasoline-powered vehicles
EV PROS:
- Convenient (when charging at home)
- Cheaper (depending on state or city)
- Cheaper maintenance, due to lack of mechanical parts
- Great for commuting
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Federal and state tax incentives
- More performance (speed, handling – depending on the make and model)
EV CONS:
- Higher initial cost
- Higher insurance rates
- More frequent tire and brake replacement intervals
- Higher curb weight (thus causing more rapid wear on crucial parts)
- Low resale value
- High depreciation rates
- Lack of charging infrastructure
- Unreliable public charging (related: slow charging times)
- Poor winter and summer performance
- Lack of clean energy alternatives means more “dirty energy” from coal and nuclear sources
- Range anxiety
GAS PROS:
- Highly developed refueling infrastructure
- Fast refueling
- Cheaper insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Established repair industry
- Lower initial cost
- Higher range before refueling, especially with hybrids
- Many manufacturers produce nearly emission-less engines
- Cheaper refueling, depending on the location
GAS CONS:
- Finite resource (related: heavy dependence on petroleum)
- Carbon emissions/greenhouse gases
- Higher repair costs
- Higher insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Varying costs at the pump, depending on state, city, and county
Source: Car & Driver, Perch Energy, AutoWeek
However, the worries of Michigan auto workers continue to grow as multiple plants have closed in recent years, leaving thousands unemployed.
“Thousands of Michigan auto workers lost their jobs,” Harris told the crowd in Flint.
“And when it came to building the cars of the future, Donald Trump sat on the sidelines and let China dominate.”
Trump’s main policy points
- Implementing tax cuts, including no tax on tips
- Protecting Social Security and Medicare – Trump said ‘incomes will skyrocket and the middle class will prosper like never before’
- Protecting borders – He pledged to end the ‘border nightmare.’ That means two things on day one – ‘Drill baby Drill,’ as he said, and close the borders
- Finishing building the wall
- Keeping our ‘sons and daughters safe’
- Replenishing the military and building a military ‘dome’ – Trump insisted he could stop wars with just a phone call and said no military would be able to penetrate the USA if he came into office
- Ending the war in Ukraine and imposing tariffs on Iran
- Vowing to “beat” China
- Working to decrease prices and ease inflation
- Bringing down the cost of energy
- Making cities ‘safe, clean and beautiful’ again
- Making it possible for Americans to buy gas-run cars by ending the electric vehicle mandate on the first day of his presidency
However, Trump blames the layoffs on the Biden administration’s push for EVs.
“Michigan auto workers are paying the price,” the former president’s Michigan ad said.
“Massive layoffs already started. You could be next.”
Trump, who was previously against policies supporting electric vehicles, changed his tune about EVs just a few months ago after Tesla CEO Elon Musk endorsed him.
“I’m for electric cars,” Trump said at a rally in August,
“I have to be because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice.”
