Donald Trump has taken aim at Tesla CEO Elon Musk again, hinting that he could deport him from the United States as the world’s richest man continues to criticise the President’s spending bill, which would remove EV incentives.
As part of the so-called “big, beautiful bill”, President Donald Trump plans to reverse electric vehicle mandates and remove incentives.
The White House argues that the existing EV mandates “let radical climate activists set the standards for American energy”.
In response to the proposed measures included in the bill, Elon Musk has voiced his concerns on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming that it will increase America’s debt by $5trillion (£3.6trillion).
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President Trump has slammed Elon Musk, saying that Tesla would struggle without an EV grant scheme
REUTERS
Speaking to reporters outside the White House earlier today, Trump hinted that he could be looking to deport Musk, adding that they would put DOGE on the billionaire.
It comes weeks after Trump and Musk’s bitter split, with the South African-born businessman leaving his role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump has consistently claimed that Musk was upset in response to the plan to remove incentives from the spending bill and the impact it would have on Tesla, which has already struggled in recent months.
He said: “He gets a lot of subsidies. Elon’s very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated, and you know what, not everyone wants an electric car.
President Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ will aim to remove incentives for electric vehicles
GETTY
“I don’t want an electric car, I want to have maybe gasoline, maybe electric, maybe a hybrid, maybe someday a hydrogen. If you have a hydrogen car, it has one problem – it blows up.”
There have been very few instances of hydrogen vehicles “exploding” or catching fire, although this could be put down to their scarcity on the roads.
At the start of the year, seven hydrogen buses were destroyed in a fire in northeastern France, although the director of the Belfort Territory Transport Authority said the fire was “not related to hydrogen or its use”.
However, in a recently resurfaced interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, Elon Musk said the electric car brand would be better off without any subsidies for zero emission vehicles.
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He said: “If you eliminated all EV incentives tomorrow, Tesla’s competitive position would improve significantly.
“I’ll say that again. If you eliminated all EV tax credits, Tesla’s position would improve immediately.”
The current EV mandate allows motorists to benefit from tax credits of up to $7,500 (£5,465) for a new, qualified plug-in EV or fuel cell electric vehicle.
Drivers can also save $4,000 (£2,914) off the price of a used electric vehicle from a licensed dealer for $25,000 (£18,218) or less with the Used Clean Vehicle Credit.
Professor John Abraham, from the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering in Minnesota, said demand for electric vehicles would soften slightly if the credits were removed.
Despite this, he said the cut would “not ruin the market at all”, describing the incentives as a “little bonus” since many drivers likely don’t know that the subsidies exist.
Abraham told CBS News: “The EV market is here to stay. Some people make their decisions based on wanting to become a good steward for the environment, but other people are making the decision based on their pocketbook.
“And we’ve reached a point with this technology where you can save money and the environment at the same time. It’s a win-win situation.”