Trump claims he ended EV mandate that never existed
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- Trump claimed at a Las Vegas rally Wednesday night that he "ended the electric mandate" and mocked EV owners for getting range anxiety, describing the condition as a "disease" they develop watching their battery drop from 3/4 full while driving.
- Trump said the US sells 7% of its cars as electric despite "all the taxes and all the things that we gave away," and cited US control of "60% of the world's oil and gas, including Venezuela."
- The article notes no federal law has ever required Americans to buy an electric vehicle — the policies Trump targeted were federal tailpipe emissions standards and California's clean-car rules, which his administration struck down via executive orders in the first days of his second term.
- International EV adoption has surged well past the US 7% figure, with Norway virtually all-electric, most European markets past 20% EV market share, and China recently crossing the 50% threshold.
- Trump's 7% figure is accurate on battery-electric market share, but the article notes his administration actively drove that number down by ending the EV tax credit and gutting emissions rules.
- Trump tucked in a reassurance to Elon Musk, saying "I don't want to talk about it because Elon wasn't exactly thrilled with me, but I had to do it. We love Elon."
Why it matters: Trump is publicly celebrating a 7% US EV market share as proof of American strength, while Norway, Europe, and China race past 20%, 50%, and near-total EV adoption — and his own administration pulled the tax credit and emissions rules that were pushing the US toward those numbers. The result is a US president bragging about the country falling behind in the most significant energy transition of the past century.
