Trump Says He Ended the ‘EV Mandate.’ What Does That Mean?

from the campaign Tails, President Donald Trump was consistent: He would “end Electric vehicles command.” So it’s no surprise phrase pop up He signed an executive order on Monday, hours after being sworn into office.

Here’s the catch: The US has never had an EV mandate or any kind of law or regulation need American buyers go electric. Instead, the previous administration tried to create a series of carrots and sticks designed to make electric vehicles more attractive to both those who build them and those who buy them. An executive order issued yesterday seeks to undo all that.

But it’s complicated. Experts say the effects of the order are unclear and will likely take some time to roll out. The electric car parts of the order seem more about messaging than immediate practical impact. “A lot of this is indicative of the administration’s intent,” said Timothy Johnson, a professor of energy and environment at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. “It’s unclear what the administration will be able to do immediately.”

In the meantime, automakers will continue to build and sell electric vehicles and consumers will be able to buy them. Some of the stricter emissions standards begin as late as 2026, and it usually takes manufacturers about five years to develop and build a car, meaning autos must be built and sold following the upcoming emissions regulations.

US and global automakers have already backed away from some of their more ambitious EV-related commitments, but electrics are still coming. The long-term future of the US auto industry is unclear. Other governments are still pursuing EV-friendly policies, and critics warn that they will be watching Towards a growing Chinese auto industry Get them through the transition.

One thing is clear for the future of EVs in the US: There will be lawsuits.

Report incoming

Monday’s executive order demands that US companies review their rules regarding EVs and determine whether they are “unduly burdensome” and interfere with consumer choice. These organizations have to write the results in the report, which is due within 30 days

From there, the bureaucracy begins to grind, said Kathy Harris, who directs the Clean Vehicle Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “If an organization wants to repeal a regulation, they have to go through a public process,” he says That means publishing new proposed rules, taking public comments, going back and forth with industry, and then publishing those comments. There is a lot of paperwork between the Trump administration and the eventual nixing of any EV-related program.

The clearest way for the White House to loosen regulations requiring auto makers to build more EVs is to target the cars’ fuel efficiency and tailpipe standards. It requires manufacturers to reach certain levels of gas efficiency and limit pollutants in all the cars they make in the coming years. One simple way automakers can achieve these goals is to sell more electric vehicles, which don’t use gas or emit tailpipe pollutants at all. Last time Trump was in office, it took his administration more than three years to replace Obama-era energy efficiency standards. During this time, agencies can be more efficient and succeed in changing rules more quickly, Harris said. However, the process can take months.