Overview
- At a Las Vegas rally this week President Trump ridiculed EV owners as having a “disease” and said he had “ended the electric mandate,” remarks that quickly went viral.
- Fact-checkers and multiple outlets noted there was never a federal law forcing consumers to buy electric cars; the policies Trump referenced were emissions standards and California clean-car rules that pushed automakers to sell more EVs.
- Trump repeated a 7 percent sales figure for EVs but industry estimates put U.S. battery-electric market share closer to about 5.8–6 percent in the second quarter of 2026.
- The administration has already moved to roll back EV-supporting measures — including trimming the $7,500 federal tax credit, relaxing EPA tailpipe rules, and pausing some high-speed charging corridor funding — steps reporters say have helped cool U.S. EV sales growth.
- Charging infrastructure now lists more than 250,000 public ports, but access is uneven and many drivers without home charging or in rural and multifamily housing still face real barriers that could slow wider EV adoption.