California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if President-elect Donald Trump ends the $7,500 electric vehicle rebate program, he’ll get Californians to pay for new credits. [emphasis, links added]
However, the credits would not include Tesla, which is the most popular EV company and the only EV manufacturer in the state.
This comes weeks after Newsom and his administration passed new refinery and carbon credit regulations that will add up to $1.15 per gallon of gasoline and require Californians with gasoline-powered cars to earn up to another $1,000 per year in pretax income to afford.
“We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,” said Newsom in a statement.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose rocket launches were recently blocked by a California regulatory board that cited his politics, shared his disapproval on his social media platform, X, after Newsom staff told Bloomberg that Tesla models would not qualify for California rebates.
“Even though Tesla is the only company who manufactures their EVs in California,” said Musk. “This is insane.”
Musk recently moved SpaceX and X out of California, citing a new law signed by Newsom banning parental notification for gender change requests from K-12 students.
The credits would be paid for through California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires carbon emitters to purchase credits from the state — costs that are generally passed on to consumers in the form of more expensive gasoline, energy, and even concrete.
Emitters buy a few billion dollars worth of credits from California each year, with the state’s $135 billion high-speed rail project getting the lion’s share of the revenue.
The California Resources Board — all but two of whose voting members are appointed by the governor — recently approved $105 billion in EV charging credits and $8 billion in hydrogen charging credits to be largely paid for by drivers of gas cars and diesel trucks.
An investigation by The Center Square found the change was pushed by EV makers and the builders of EV charging systems.
Buyers of EV chargers, who pay for the energy and own the charger, sign installation contracts that permanently give away their rights to the government or other EV charging credits generated from fueling a vehicle with electrons instead of gasoline.
These chargers are often bundled with the purchase of an EV, or covered entirely by utility or government rebates, meaning they are permanent, zero-or-low-cost revenue streams for the company collecting the credits.
Read more at Just The News
I have visited California four times, as a tourist. I won’t go back. The air there is fine but it’s political climate sickens me. Ottawa and Sacramento should be twinned cities. EV’s for all, but no Tesla’s??
What a petty person, like Trudeau.
I visited too many times due to work and consulting. Back in the day I loved visiting San Francisco but due to consulting work most were in the Burbank area (Warner Brothers). But my wife and I have both said there is no reason to spend a single dollar dollar in Newsom’s California. So am 100% in agreement with you on not going back. Agree that your Prime Minister Trudeau is petty but Newsom is right there being that when he wouldn’t extend the tax credit to an individual hasn’t adhered to his far left-wing world view.
Governor Nuisance needs to be arrested for Treason and given Life in Prison
More proof, if any is needed, that EVs are a political instrument. If any sense remains in Californian minds, this imposition by the governor will backfire big time and relegate him into the also-rans for 2028.