Central ND News

A new legislative proposal, the Eliminate Lavish Incentives to Electric (ELITE) Vehicles Act, aims to repeal federal tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs) and their charging stations. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) are leading the charge in cosponsoring this bill, which has garnered support from several other lawmakers.

Senator Cramer expressed his stance on the matter, stating, "It’s time we say the quiet part out loud: the market doesn’t want and isn’t buying EVs, these tax credits largely benefit the wealthy by facilitating the sale of expensive EVs, and we’re funneling taxpayer money to a supply chain controlled by China." He emphasized the need to end what he referred to as wasteful spending on EV incentives.

Senator Barrasso echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the disparity in who benefits from the tax credits, saying, "The electric vehicle tax credit benefits the wealthiest of Americans and costs hardworking American taxpayers billions of dollars." He argued against the government's role in pushing Americans towards expensive electric cars and advocated for repealing the tax credits to allow individuals to make vehicle choices based on their own preferences.

The ELITE Vehicles Act has received support from various groups, including Americans for Prosperity and the National Taxpayers Union, as well as a list of other senators who are backing the legislation. The bill seeks to eliminate tax credits for the purchase of new, used, and commercial EVs, as well as the federal investment tax credit for electric charging stations, with the goal of keeping China out of the U.S. markets and empowering American consumers to make their own vehicle purchasing decisions.