On Monday, January 20, 2024, the return of Donald Trump to the White House will be marked. As the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump will make numerous economic decisions, some of which will logically be related to the international automotive market. Thus, Brussels and all European car manufacturers are awaiting Trump’s choices, particularly regarding the export of electric cars to the United States.
The inauguration of Donald Trump as the new President of the United States will therefore take place on Monday, January 20. Even though electric cars were not a central topic for Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, the 47th occupant of the White House has spoken on this subject. Trump could, in a few days or weeks, decide to tax electric vehicles imported from Europe. Let’s recall that since the end of September 2024, electric vehicles “made in China” have been taxed at 100% by the United States, following a decision made by Joe Biden.
At the local level, in order to save money, Donald Trump is very likely to eliminate the current federal tax credit (up to $7,500) that encourages Americans to switch to electric cars. That’s not all, as the future American administration is expected to stop subsidies for developing charging infrastructure. Additionally, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, will join the American government within the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Regarding trade relations between Europe and the United States, what influence will Elon Musk have on the choices that Donald Trump will make regarding electric cars? The question is posed.
The coming weeks and days could therefore be decisive for the European automotive sector, which has been struggling for months. How will Brussels react to the decisions that Donald Trump will make? If European car manufacturers also struggle to sell electric cars across the Atlantic, Brussels could postpone the ban on the sale of new thermal and hybrid cars scheduled for January 1, 2035, giving these same car manufacturers time to regain their financial health. You understand, without even mentioning the supremacy of the Chinese in the field of electric cars, compared to the United States, Europe is awaiting the rules that will be imposed by Donald Trump, probably on the advice of Elon Musk. However, the latter could “shoot himself in the foot,” as Tesla is very present in Europe, considering that Tesla’s sales are declining on the Old Continent.
Finally, the irony of the story, the photos illustrating this article were generated by AI, developed at the initiative of Elon Musk. In any case, the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States is therefore set for Monday, January 20, 2025.
The Editorial Team
Photos: AI Grok
