Trump Executive Orders Attacking Vehicle Pollution Standards Would Harm Economy, Jobs, Affordable Choices for Consumers

(Washington, D.C. – January 21, 2025) On his first day in office, President Trump issued executive orders attacking the nation’s clean vehicle pollution standards, California’s bedrock Clean Air Act legal authority to set its own vehicle emission standards, and policies that support hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs and help make clean vehicles an affordable choice for those who want to buy them.

“The President’s actions will undermine investments, jobs and affordability for electric vehicles – all while allowing more climate and health-harming pollution into our air,” said Peter Zalzal, Associate Vice President for Clean Air Strategies at Environmental Defense Fund.

In the last two years, since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed, manufacturers have announced nearly $200 billion in investments in U.S. electric and battery manufacturing with almost 195,000 associated new jobs. The vast majority of the investments – more than 80% – are in districts represented by Republican Members of Congress. President Trump’s executive order could put those investments and jobs in jeopardy.

EDF analysis, based on data from Atlas Public Policy, shows that U.S. electric vehicle-related investments in the past three years have surged ahead of electric vehicle investments in China. Since 2021, the U.S. has attracted almost four times as much investment as in the previous five years, more than any other region in the world. Any action to put the brakes on U.S. investments would allow other nations to pull ahead again.

Electric vehicles save their owners money. EDF analysis found many currently popular or widely anticipated models provide their owners with up to $27,000 in savings in fuel and maintenance over the first 10 years compared to a similar gasoline vehicle. Those electric cars have also been rapidly declining in price, accelerated by up to $7,500 in point-of-sale rebates for new cars provided by Congress. 

The executive order will also result in an increase in climate pollution at a time when the impacts of climate change are horrifyingly evident. The transportation sector is the nation’s largest source of climate pollution and the source of other harmful air pollution responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year. EPA estimates the protective clean car and freight truck standards adopted in 2024 will prevent eight billion metric tons of climate pollution from getting into our air through 2055. That’s more than the total U.S. emissions last year. These vital safeguards will also prevent health-harming pollution responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year.