Wide-ranging reforms to reduce support for electric vehicles and charging stations are being recommended by the transition team of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump plans to roll back Biden’s EV and emissions policies, including reclaiming any money left over from President Joe Biden’s $7.5 billion plan to construct charging stations. These funds would instead be redirected toward battery mineral processing, the national defense supply chain, and critical infrastructure.

The report claims that although EVs and charging stations are not critical to defense production, batteries, minerals, and other EV components are. China’s dominance in the mining and refinement of vital minerals like graphite, lithium (used for batteries), and rare-earth metals (used in military aircraft and electric vehicle engines) has prompted the Defense Department to emphasize U.S. vulnerabilities.

In addition to proposing global taxes on battery materials and negotiating special exemptions with allies, the measures aim to boost U.S. manufacturing. The Export-Import Bank will also promote U.S.-made EV battery exports and environmental evaluations will be waived to expedite “federally funded EV infrastructure projects,” such as battery production, recycling, and critical mineral processing.

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Trump Plans to Roll Back Biden’s EV and Emissions Policies, Blocking California’s Regulations

Trump plans to roll back Biden’s EV and emissions policies further by targeting fuel economy and pollution regulations. The Biden administration’s fuel economy and pollution rules would be reversed, enabling automakers to produce more gas-powered cars. In comparison to the existing 2025 limitations, the plan suggests reducing average fuel economy requirements by around 15% and restoring standards to 2019 levels, allowing vehicles to emit up to 25% more emissions per mile.

Another important proposal is to prevent California from setting its own stricter vehicle emissions regulations, which have been adopted by over a dozen other states. During his first administration, Trump revoked California’s ability to enforce these stricter regulations, a move that Biden subsequently reversed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently considering allowing California to implement stricter emissions regulations by 2026, which would eventually require all new vehicles to be electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen-powered by 2035. This waiver has not yet been authorized by the Biden administration.

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Targeting China and Protecting Domestic Auto Production

Measures to counter China’s dominance of the EV supply chain are among the proposals made by the transition team. These include imposing tariffs on imports of EV batteries, critical minerals, and charging components under Section 232, which addresses national security threats; extending export restrictions on EV battery technology to hostile countries; and using tariffs as a tool to negotiate the opening of international markets for U.S. auto exports, including EVs.

Certain policies appear aimed at safeguarding domestic automakers, including those producing electric vehicles in the U.S. According to the plan, Biden’s policy requiring all government purchases of automobiles and smaller trucks to be zero-emission vehicles by 2027 would be repealed, and federal agencies would no longer be required to buy EVs. Additionally, it suggests terminating Department of Defense programs aimed at creating or acquiring electric military vehicles.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump transition, stressed that voters gave Trump the authority to halt government interference in gas-powered vehicle production. She stated in a statement, “When he takes office, President Trump will support the auto industry, allowing space for both gas-powered cars and electric vehicles.”

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