New DOE, DOT Heads Could Change United States’ EV Future
What will Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mean for the electric vehicle (EV) industry when President-elect Trump takes office in January? That’s the question many are asking given the Biden administration’s preference for the emergent automotive sector. Both Wright and Duffy have expressed skepticism of the EV industry, raising concerns about a potential rollback of the current administration’s EV programs.
A recent topic in E&E News, the piece notes the federal government’s support for EVs through loans, grants, and subsidies that would support more battery manufacturing support and charging infrastructure. Electric vehicle sales made up roughly 10 percent of new car and truck sales in 2024, though it remains to be seen how much that was facilitated by the federal government’s support for the industry.
Chris Harto, an energy and transportation analyst with Consumer Reports, a nonprofit that analyzes products for consumers, believes EV adoption is inevitable. “There is a point where this takes off regardless, even in the U.S. It’s just a matter of when and how,” he said. This is a crucial point to the federal government’s support for EVs – it should not artificially support one subsector over another at the detriment of commonsense energy policies.
Diversification of energy and transportation is critical. While EVs might be a nice luxury, and a more robust option in the future, the vehicles demand enormous amounts of energy from an already fragile electricity grid. Without a fortified grid and stabilized power supply, mass adoption of EVs could threaten grid reliability, especially as data centers send demand forecasts skyrocketing. A shift in federal policy will allow for the reevaluation of certain subsidies and will avoid picking winners and losers. In the months and years ahead, policymakers should prioritize energy infrastructure projects that facilitate energy production, transportation and grid reliability to handle increased demand. Additionally, expanding EV alternatives and ensuring affordable and efficient energy is a more sustainable path forward.
