In his address at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, presidential candidate Donald Trump pledged to terminate support for electric vehicles (EVs).
Mr Trump said: “I will end the EV mandate on day one. Thereby saving the US auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now and saving US customers thousands and thousands of dollars per car.”
He also expressed concern over large auto factories being built in Mexico and China, which he suggested were exacerbating economic challenges and inflation: “Right now as we speak large factories are being built across the border in Mexico so with all the other things happening our border and they are being built by China to make cars and to sell them into our country. No tax, no anything.”
Donald Trump criticised the current administration’s focus on renewable energy, calling it a “scam,” and proposed redirecting these funds to infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and dams.
The Republican presidential candidate said: “And next we will end the ridiculous and incredible waste of taxpayer dollars that is fuelling the inflation crisis. They have spent trillions of dollars on things having to do with the new green scam.
“It’s a scam and that’s caused tremendous inflationary pressures. In addition to the cost of energy and all of the trillions of dollars that are sitting there not yet spent, we will redirect that money for important projects like roads, bridges, dams and we will not allow it to be spent on meaningless green new scam ideas.”
President Biden has set a target for the US to achieve a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and to reach a net zero emissions economy by 2050.
President Biden aims for 50% of all new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.
