President Donald Trump used a speech marking his first year back in office to tout his administration’s rollback of electric vehicle regulations, saying he the decision caused him “a little problem” with Tesla‘s chief Elon Musk.
Trump opened the segment by recalling that he had “terminated the Green New Scam and ended the insane electric vehicle mandate” in early 2025, referring to his efforts to undo emissions and fuel-economy standards put in place under the Biden administration.
“I love electric vehicles. That caused me a little problem with a man named Elon [Musk], but he understands and he’s a good guy,” Trump said, referring to the Tesla chief executive.
“[…] But I said: Elon, we can’t have all electric cars, just can’t do it,” the US President stated at the White House on Tuesday,
Trump said he supported EVs but argued the previous administration’s timeline was unrealistic.
“I like the electric cars. I like his car. In particular, I like his car, but we can’t do that because some people don’t want an electric car by 2030,” Trump said. “And to build the power stations all over the country would have cost $4 trillion, $4 trillion.”
He questioned whether such infrastructure spending was even feasible globally.
“That’s more than any country has. If you got China, the United States, and everyone, you couldn’t do it. And it would have taken years,” he said. “And yet they were supposed to be switching over electric vehicle mandates.”
Trump argued consumers should have the freedom to choose their preferred powertrain, touting US oil reserves in the process.
“Some people don’t like electric cars. Some people want hybrids. Some people want regular gasoline-powered cars,” he said. “We have more gasoline than anybody. And now with Venezuela, we have 62% of the market when you include Venezuela.”
The president then reiterated his position while emphasizing consumer choice remains intact.
“So I ended the Green New Scam and I ended the insane electric vehicle mandate,” Trump said. “Now you can buy a gasoline-powered car, a hybrid, and you can buy an electric vehicle. I mean, if you think, if you want electric, you can buy it.”
He also pitched potential EV buyers on current market conditions.
“Make a good deal on them right now because they made a lot of them,” Trump said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy amplified a clip of Trump’s remarks on X, writing: “One year in, and EV mandates are OVER. That’s promises made, promises kept. Manufacturers are now building cars and trucks that the American people want.”
Trump signed an executive order in January 2025, days after taking office, directing his administration to “eliminate the electric-vehicle mandate.”
The order also called for regulators to consider “the elimination of unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies.”
Canada x China
Last week, President Donald Trump endorsed Canada’s decision to sharply lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
“Well, it’s okay. That’s what he should be doing,” Trump stated.
“I mean, it’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” the US President added.
A few hours earlier, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called the agreement “problematic.”
The agreement announced last week during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s state visit to Beijing will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into Canada annually at a 6.1% tariff rate — down from the 100% duty imposed in 2024.
