Former President Donald Trump claimed Monday that the United Auto Workers union would be destroyed if it helps to build what he called President Joe Biden's "electric car hoax."
"The once fabled United Autoworkers of America will soon go OUT OF BUSINESS under Crooked Joe Biden if he is allowed to pull off his ALL ELECTRIC CAR HOAX," wrote Trump on Truth Social.
"China will build them all. ENDORSE TRUMP! Likewise, TRUCKERS better get on board with 'TRUMP' because the new all electric trucking mandates will quickly DESTROY THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY. Vote TRUMP and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
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Electric vehicles and the infrastructure for charging them have boomed in recent years, and while a number of environmental and technical challenges remain, including the sourcing of battery materials and the higher weight of the vehicles compared to gasoline equivalents, they have shown promise in reducing transportation emissions.
They are also cheaper to power, have greater torque, and have simpler maintenance, making them attractive for those who can afford them.
The Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark energy and health care bill signed into law by President Joe Biden last year, expands federal incentives for electric vehicles. This came after the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated billions in funding for electric vehicle charging stations and production of battery components.
In many cases, the auto industry has pushed for these investments. And during the Trump administration, General Motors lobbied the former president heavily to back similar policies, even as he cracked down on California's ability to set emission standards at the state level.
Trump has previously attacked electric vehicles in his stump speeches, proclaiming at one campaign rally in New Hampshire this year that electric car batteries throw "dirt into the air."
