Donald Trump goes on electric car rant full of lies and hilarious nonsense
Donald Trump went on a rant about electric vehicles during a rally this weekend, and it was full of lies and hilarious nonsense.
Note: I don’t like to get too political at Electrek. Those who know me personally know I’m as apolitical as it gets. I don’t believe the biggest changes come from politics. I’m not biased toward any side in politics, but I am biased toward electric vehicles and I do like policies that encourage them, especially those that incentivize them in a way that represents their benefits for the environment. Since Trump has a real chance of becoming president again, it’s important to cover his views and policies on electric vehicles.
The former president has been all over the place with his comments on electric vehicles.
Most of the time, in his rallies, he has brought them up as a talking point to ridicule them – focusing on the premise that “don’t go far” and “charging is a pain”. He went as far as calling them a “hoax”.
But he has also claimed that he is “all for electric cars” and during his 2020 campaign, he tried to take credit for incentives put in place during the Obama administration.
In practice, the former president was trying to put in place policies to slow down electric car adoption – at the request of some automakers, to be fair. The Trump administration attempted to eliminate the tax credit for electric vehicles in the original version of their 2020 budget, though the provision never passed.
Furthermore, Trump was actively seeking to roll back vehicle emission standards that were encouraging automakers to produce more electric cars.
With this new 2024 campaign, the former president has been clearer about the fact that he is against any initiatives that would accelerate the rollout of electric vehicles.
President Biden did make electric vehicles an important part of his administration and therefore, it’s not surprising to see Trump taking a more consistent negative stance on them.
At a new rally in Las Vegas over the weekend, the former president talked about electric vehicles for a minute:
Trump made several false or misleading statements about electric vehicles in his speech:
- There are no charges.
- Electric trucks weigh more than twice – triple as much as gasoline and diesel trucks
- “they have to fix every bridge in the US to handle the weight”
- Insinuates that electric boats would “sink because of their weight”
- Implies that electric boats are a serious electrocution risk in the open ocean
Forget about the ridiculous hypothetical choice between electrocution and a shark attack, there are a lot of misleading statements in there.
There are definitely a lot of charging stations in the US. There are over 168,000 EV chargers in the US, including over 37,000 fast-chargers.
However, it’s true that the US needs to continue the build out of charging infrastructure to continue supporting the growing fleet of electric vehicles.
Electric trucks don’t weigh “twice” and certainly not “three times” as much as diesel trucks.
If we are talking about pickup trucks, it’s true that battery-powered pickup trucks generally weigh more, but it’s closer to 20% more rather than 100 or 200%, as Trump is claiming. For example, the Ford F150 Lightning is about 1,000 lbs heavier than its fossil-fuel-powered counterpart, depending on the trim.
However, it’s more likely that Trump was referring to class 8 trucks since he was talking about the effect on the infrastructure, and semi-trucks account for the vast majority of the impact on infrastructure.
This is where his argument completely falls apart since class 8 trucks have an overall 80,000 limits of tractor, trailer, and load combined, which has been raised by 2,000 lbs for electric trucks. Therefore, they can only be 2.5% heavier overall.
In short, there’s zero evidence that electric trucks are destroying infrastructure. Bridges are indeed being replaced in the US right now, but that’s because the current administration recently passed a massive bi-partisan infrastructure bill.
Finally, no, electric boats don’t “sink because they are heavy,” and electrocution is not a major concern of electric boats because batteries are well sealed and isolated, and also electricity dissipates quite fast in any significant body of water, like an ocean since Trump was talking about sharks being present.
Electrek’s Take
That was a lot of nonsense. If you found the above interesting, I would ask you to do a quick exercise and this is not particularly about Trump. It applies to any public figure.
When a public figure talks about something you are well versed in, in this case, for me, electric vehicles, it often exposes that they talk confidently about subjects they have little to no knowledge about.
Then, you have to ask yourself, do they do the same about every other subject, but I don’t realize it because I’m not as well versed in those?
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The GV90 is set to raise the bar as the most luxurious Genesis SUV. If you thought the GV80 was impressive, wait until you see this larger, three-row electric flagship. After it was recently spotted in the US, we are getting our first glimpse of the ultra-luxe Genesis GV90’s interior.
First look at the Genesis GV90 interior in the US
Genesis previewed the flagship SUV at the NY Auto Show last March with the Neolun concept, which the brand refers to as its “ultra-luxe vision of luxury SUVs.”
It’s not only stunning on the outside, but the full-size SUV will introduce advanced new tech and upscale design features for “a whole new level of luxury.”
Drawing inspiration from Korean aesthetics, the interior is fit for royalty. The concept featured a “Royal Indigo” cashmere and a vintage-like “Purple Silk” leather. Genesis topped it off with dark-colored wood accents for an even more luxurious feel.
After it was spotted in public in California, it looks like the interior of the Genesis GV90 will retain some elements from the concept.
The new photos, courtesy of The Korean Car Blog, offer a sneak peek at what we can expect when it arrives in production form.
You’ll notice that the color scheme remains largely the same, with purple accents on the door trim, seats, and other interior elements.
The GV90 will serve as the luxury brand’s tech beacon, featuring Hyundai Motor’s latest technology and software. A 24″ infotainment system will sit at the center with navigation and voice command recognition.
It will also feature a 3D audio experience with tweeters, midrange speakers, woofers, and subwoofers strategically placed, creating an immersive audio experience. The iconic Crystal Sphere is not only a centerpiece, but it will also serve as a hi-fi tweeter speaker.
According to Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis’ chief creative officer, the concept is “the epitome of timeless design and sophisticated craftsmanship.” Do you agree?
With GV90 models now in public testing, Genesis appears to be on track to launch the flagship SUV in mid-2026. Earlier this month, we got a closer look at the exterior after it was caught testing at the Nürburgring with less camo.
More details, including prices and final specs, will be revealed closer to launch. However, it is expected to ride on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which will replace its current E-GMP.
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Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images
The SEC has formally dropped its lawsuit against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao, bringing an end to one of the last remaining crypto enforcement actions brought by the agency.
In a Thursday filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, lawyers for the SEC and Binance jointly moved to dismiss the case, which was first brought in June 2023.
The original complaint accused the crypto exchange of violations including illegally serving U.S. users, inflating trading volumes, and commingling customer funds. The agency also claimed that Binance unlawfully enabled trading in crypto assets it viewed as unregistered securities, an argument that was also used against Coinbase, Kraken, and others under prior SEC leadership.
The dismissal marks a symbolic end to one of the most aggressive crypto crackdowns in U.S. history, and comes as the Trump administration makes a concerted effort to prove that it’s an ally to the industry. The Justice Department has already shut down its crypto enforcement team, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is now set to be led by a venture capitalist with close ties to crypto.
Binance is the largest digital assets exchange in the world by volume. It recently forged ties with World Liberty Financial, a project that aspires to be a crypto bank and funnels 75% of profits to entities linked to the Trump family. Binance is taking a $2 billion investment from the Emirati state fund MGX entirely in USD1, a stablecoin newly launched by the World Liberty team.
Binance and World Liberty are also deepening their footprint in Pakistan, where WLF co-founder Zack Witkoff, the son of U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, recently struck a deal with the government. Around the same time, Zhao was appointed as an adviser to Pakistan’s newly formed Crypto Council, a state-backed body tasked with shaping national digital asset policy.
The SEC was the last major regulator still pursuing Binance after a $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. government last year that saw Zhao plead guilty and step down as CEO, while avoiding jail time and retaining much of his wealth.
The agency’s motion to dismiss was granted with prejudice, meaning the SEC can’t refile the same claims.
Under the SEC’s new leadership, the agency has shifted away from enforcement and toward engagement and regulatory rollback. It’s held a series of roundtables led by Commissioner Hester Peirce and newly appointed Chair Paul Atkins.
The SEC has also begun dismantling key rules that once kept Wall Street on the sidelines. In January, it scrapped Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 — a controversial directive issued under former Chair Gary Gensler that forced banks to count crypto holdings as liabilities on their balance sheets. Peirce celebrated the reversal on X, posting, “Bye, bye SAB 121! It’s not been fun.”
In February, the agency followed up with new guidance indicating that it doesn’t view most meme coins as securities under federal law, providing a boon to the Trump family.
President Trump and several of his family members are closely tied to crypto ventures, including the $TRUMP token, which launched just before his January inauguration. The coin currently boasts a market cap of about $2.4 billion, with its website claiming that 80% of the supply is held by the Trump Organization and affiliated entities.
WATCH: President Trump holds controversial private dinner for top investors in his meme coin
After its electric vehicle sales more than doubled in the first quarter, GM claims it’s now the “#1 EV seller” in Canada. With a full lineup of 13 all-electric vehicles, GM sold more EVs than Tesla in Canada.
GM tops Tesla to become the #1 EV seller in Canada in Q1
GM’s electric vehicle sales in Canada surged by 252% in the first three months of 2025, with new Chevy and Cadillac models driving growth.
The Chevy Equinox EV led the way with 1,892 units sold, followed by the Silverado EV with 894 units. Cadillac’s new entry-level OPTIQ had a strong showing, with 615 models sold, nearly matching the 720 units sold of its first EV, the LYRIQ.
Even the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and SUV saw more demand, with sales up 232% (186) and 88% (252), respectively.
Combined, the automaker sold a total of 5,750 EVs in Q1. According to GM, this was enough to top Tesla to become “the #1 EV seller in Canada.”
GM Canada recently posted on social media, saying, “We claimed the top spot as Canada’s #1 EV seller!” The news comes as registration data show that Tesla registered just 524 vehicles in Quebec in Q1, down 87% from the same period last year.
The steep decline in sales comes after the Quebec government paused federal EV incentives from February to April 1st. Canada also paused its iZEV rebate program in January, which offered up to $5,000 on the purchase or lease of an EV. Like the US federal EV Tax credit, it was designed to be used at the point of sale to help lower prices.
GM also registered significantly fewer Equinox and Blazer EVs in Quebec during the quarter. Despite higher year-over-year (YOY) sales, GM’s electric vehicle (EV) sales were down considerably from the over 15,000 in Q4 2024.
The American automaker will continue to expand its lineup with the launch of the new Cadillac Escalade IQL, Lyriq-V, and Visiq.
By the end of the year, we also expect to get our first look at the next-gen Chevy Bolt EV with deliveries starting in 2026.
Electrek’s Take
GM is building momentum with new models rolling out, which now cover nearly every segment. In the US, GM surpassed Ford and Hyundai Motor, including Kia, to become the second-largest seller of EVs last year.
Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. The new electric Equinox, or “America’s most affordable 315+ miles range EV,” as GM calls it, is quickly becoming a top seller. The Blazer and Silverado EVs are also gaining traction.
Cadillac reported its best first quarter since 2008, with retail sales increasing by 21%. After delivering the first models in Q1, the entry-level OPTIQ is off to an impressive start with 1,716 units sold.
GM will top off its US electric vehicle lineup with the next-gen 2026 Chevy Bolt EV due out later this year or in early 2026.
Source: GM Authority, GM Canada
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