The News
Electric vehicles have emerged as a flashpoint in the race for the White House, as both the Democratic and Republican campaigns battle to win over key voters in the US’ auto industry heartland.
The Trump campaign has spent more than $1 million on television ads in the battleground state of Michigan, warning autoworkers that “Kamala Harris wants to end all gas-powered cars” and that “massive layoffs [have] already started.”
On Tuesday, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance derided the administration’s $500 million grant for an EV project in Michigan as “table scraps” in comments quickly seized upon by the Harris campaign. Vance also claimed the auto industry would face sweeping job losses if Harris wins.
While Harris once supported legislation for phasing out gas-powered cars, the Democratic candidate has emphasized that “contrary to what my opponent is suggesting, I will never tell you what kind of car you have to drive.”
Trump has warned that the auto industry could face a “bloodbath” if he is not elected, and has promised to “immediately terminate Joe Biden’s insane electric vehicle mandate,” a reference to air pollution limits issued by the Environmental Protection Agency this year.
SIGNALS
Michigan voters remain skeptical of EVs
In Michigan, likely voters oppose government incentives for electric vehicles by 57-34, according to recent polling. This skepticism has put Michigan Democrats in a jam, trying to make the case that Biden’s climate policies are creating jobs in a state where the auto industry is a key employer, Politico reported. Across the country, vulnerable Senate Democrats have quietly distanced themselves from Biden’s support for EVs, amid a stream of ads seeking to tie them to the administration’s policies. The United Auto Workers union, however, has come out in favor of Harris, warning that cutting funding for electric vehicles could put jobs at risk. “You’re talking hundreds of thousands of jobs that Donald Trump is just writing off,” the union’s President Shawn Fain said.
Trump shifts on EVs amid budding alliance with Musk
Even as his campaign takes out ads attacking Harris for her support for EVs, Trump’s growing friendship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk may have led Trump to gradually soften his stance on electric vehicles. While the Republican nominee has declared that supporting the electric vehicle sector would be “lunacy,” he said this summer that “I’m for electric cars, I have to be because Elon endorsed me very strongly.” In recent months, Trump has toned down his attacks, shifting from calling EVs unreliable to criticizing specific environmental regulations and federal incentives, a New York Times analysis found. “I can be persuasive,” Musk said, when asked about Trump’s apparent shift at a Tesla shareholder meeting.