Senate votes to send 2 million US jobs to China, increase deficit, energy costs
Senate republicans passed their version of the republican tax bill previously passed by the House. The bill retains most of the bad parts of the House bill, and still kills a slew of tax credits to help working families become more energy efficient, improve US air quality, and boost US manufacturing – instead channeling that money to wealthy elites, increasing the deficit by trillions of dollars along the way.
The Senate bill retains much of the language killing off energy efficiency credits and credits responsible for green manufacturing growth in the US.
The credits were largely established under President Biden as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which raised hundreds of billions of dollars through tax enforcement on wealthy individuals and corporations and channeled that into energy efficiency credits for American families.
We’ve covered how families could save thousands of dollars on upgrades to lower their energy costs through these credits.
But these credits aren’t just money-saving for Americans, they also work to boost American manufacturing, due to various provisions in the bill, particularly around the $7,500 EV tax credit which was limited to cars that undergo final assembly in North America.
While loopholes exist, nevertheless the IRA resulted in a massive expansion of American manufacturing, driving hundreds of billions of dollars of investment and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.
So of course, republicans want to repeal this good thing. The republican tax plan currently working through Congress repeals most of the credits established in the IRA which were responsible for this boom in investment.
Republicans in the House narrowly passed their version of the bill in May, which then went to the Senate and was modified. The Senate mostly kept the job-killing language of the House bill, eliminating consumer and business tax credits that helped to spur investment in US manufacturing – specifically the 30D and 25E credits for new & used clean vehicles, the commercial clean vehicle credit, the EV charger credit, and funding to reduce pollution from heavy duty vehicles. Many of these credits have domestic sourcing provisions which encouraged companies to establish US manufacturing facilities.
It’s estimated that the elimination of these credits will kill 2 million jobs by nipping a nascent US EV manufacturing boom in the bud before it really gets started. Many of those jobs will be lost in states whose Senators voted for the bill, like Tennessee and South Carolina which will lose 140k and 135k jobs respectively. All four Senators from those states – Marsha Blackburn, Bill Hagerty, Lindsey Graham, and Tim Scott – voted to put their constituents out on the street.
All told, every Democrat voted against the job-killing, deficit-increasing measure, and three republicans had even a small amount of good sense and joined to oppose the bill – Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. But it managed to pass with a 50-50 vote with tiebreaker from J.D. Vance, the runningmate of the convicted felon currently squatting in the White House (despite being Constitutionally barred from holding office in the US).
Originally, there were additional measures in the bill that seemed to have been included just out of spite. For example, republicans wanted to sell off USPS’ awesome new EVs for scrap, losing billions of dollars in the process and killing the American jobs building them. And republicans wanted to add a punitive tax on EVs while subsidizing gas vehicles even more, increasing the budget shortfall for highways.
Thankfully, neither the USPS or registration tax measures seem to have made it into the final Senate bill, but the main measures killing American jobs have remained.
The Senate bill is, in some ways, worse than the House bill. For example, it eliminates the consumer EV credit 3 months earlier, thus increasing inflation faster for one of the most costly items that a consumer owns – their car. And that won’t just affect EVs – by making EVs $7,500 more expensive, competing gas vehicles will feel less downward pressure on price from the competition of cleaner, cheaper-to-own EVs, and manufacturers could well increase prices.
All of this occurs in the context of a global automotive industry which is rapidly shifting to electrification, currently led by China. China is the number one EV maker in the world, and is rapidly transforming its manufacturing industry to meet the needs of the future.
Domestic EV sales in China have ballooned in recent years. China got a slower start than some countries, having low EV penetration until around 2020, but has gone exponential in recent years. In 2023, ICE car values began to plummet and these cars became unsellable in China, acting as a canary in the coal mine for what will happen to the global auto industry if other automaking countries don’t take EVs seriously.
It’s estimated that this year, China will sell more EVs than the US sells cars overall.
But China is not just the number one EV maker, it’s also the number one car maker. As of last year, China is the top auto exporter in the world, eclipsing Japan which had been the primary holder of that title for decades.
Japan came to international prominence in automotive manufacturing in the 1970s, led primarily by the adoption of technologies that better confronted the environmental challenges of the day, while Western automakers continued to try to sell unpopular, inefficient gas guzzlers. Western governments failed to recognize the threat of growing overseas competition, and responded fecklessly with tariffs that didn’t work. Sound familiar?
And so, the Senate bill, which would strangle the attempt to catch US EV manufacturing up to China’s long-planned dominance of the field, will only serve to reduce potential international competition to the rise of China. China is taking EVs seriously, and the US could have, if it weren’t for the spiteful actions of the republicans.
They’re trying to kill off these manufacturing investments likely to snub one of President Biden’s biggest wins, and as a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry that bribes them disproportionately. But all this will do is harm US manufacturing and make Americans sicker and poorer – and help the US’ geopolitical rivals step into the vacuum left by America’s abdication of the auto industry.
The bill now moves back to the House, where that body will have its chance to vote on the changes made in the Senate bill. The last vote passed by the narrowest possible majority, so it’s possible that the changes will kill the bill in the House, but given the recent history of republicans as wanting to make literally everything worse out of spite, it might take a miracle.
If you happen to want good things to happen to America, instead of bad things, you could perhaps call your Congressperson and ask them to vote against this job-killing, deficit-increasing, inflation-causing bill.
Another thing republicans want to kill is the rooftop solar credit. That means you could have only until the end of this year to install rooftop solar on your home, before republicans raise the cost of doing so by an average of ~$10,000. So if you want to go solar, get started now, because these things take time and the system needs to be active before you file for the credit.
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Burlingame, California-based Peak Energy just scored a huge win for sodium-ion batteries. The company announced a multi-year deal with utility-scale battery storage developer Jupiter Power to supply up to 4.75 GWh of sodium-ion battery systems between 2027 and 2030.
Under the agreement, Peak will deliver 720 MWh of storage in 2027 – the largest single sodium-ion battery deployment announced so far. The deal also includes an option for an additional 4 GWh of capacity through 2030, bringing the total contract value to more than $500 million.
Sodium-ion vs. lithium-ion
Peak Energy says its sodium-ion batteries degrade less over time and have lower operations and maintenance costs than lithium-ion systems. Because the batteries don’t degrade as quickly, operators don’t need to add more capacity later in a project’s life to maintain performance. They also use a fully passive cooling system that eliminates pumps, fans, and other components used in lithium-ion setups, reducing maintenance and safety risks.
The company claims its grid-scale sodium-ion system uses up to 97% less auxiliary power, offers about 30% better cell degradation performance over 20 years, and comes with a lower total cost of ownership.
Why this deal matters
The agreement marks a significant step forward for the emerging sodium-ion sector, which has been gaining momentum as a safer and lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion for long-duration and grid-scale energy storage. It also underscores the growing effort to build a domestic sodium-ion battery supply chain in the US.
“From day one, we’ve believed sodium-ion will be the winning technology for grid-scale storage, which is essential to meet rising demand from hyperscalers and AI,” said Landon Mossburg, Peak Energy’s CEO and cofounder. “Deploying the world’s largest sodium-ion energy storage system with one of the nation’s top independent power producers proves that sodium is ready for today and will dominate the future.”
Mike Geier, CTO at Jupiter Power, said the company is “excited to support domestic battery energy storage manufacturing as we continue to increase the deployment of firm, dispatchable energy when and where it’s most needed,” and called Peak’s approach to sodium-ion “a potential game changer for the industry.”
Read more: The US’s first grid-scale sodium-ion battery is now online
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![The new 2026 Lexus ES is an upgrade in just about every way [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/new-2026-Lexus-ES-EV.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Lexus claims the new ES “takes sedan styling, luxury, and refinement to a higher level” with a complete redesign. With the 2026 ES arriving soon, Lexus offered a closer look at the upgrades inside and out.
The new 2026 Lexus ES debuts in EV and hybrid forms
The eighth-gen ES is bringing more than a sharp new style. Lexus overhauled its flagship sedan from the ground up for the 2026 model year, which will include battery electric (BEV) and hybrid (HEV) powertrain options.
Inspired by the radical LF-ZC show car, the 2026 ES has been fully redesigned with what Lexus calls the “Experience Elegance and Electrified Sedan” concept, aimed at further refining the driving experience.
The new design centers on a redesigned “spindle body” that extends from the hood to the bumper. It also features a redesigned grille, replacing the signature Lexus spindle grille as the brand looks for a new identity in the electric era.
Inside, the new 2026 ES features the latest version of the Lexus Interface multimedia system. The setup includes a 14″ touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.3″ driver display cluster.
Based on the redesigned TNGA GA-K platform, the new ES will be available in battery electric (BEV) and hybrid (HEV) powertrains for the first time.
The 2026 Lexus ES lineup consists of two models: the ES 350e, a front-wheel-drive (FWD) model, and the ES 500e, an all-wheel-drive (AWD) model.
Lexus expects the ES 350e to have a driving range of 300 miles when fitted with 19″ wheels, while the ES 500e has an estimated driving range of 250 miles.
Both the ES 350e and 500e feature a built-in NACS port to recharge at Tesla Superchargers. Using DC fast charging, it can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes under “ideal conditions,” according to Lexus.
With its debut just around the corner, Lexus offered a closer look at the new 2026 ES inside and out in a new video.
Lexus has yet to announce prices, but the redesigned ES is expected to start at about $45,000 to $50,000, or slightly more than the outgoing model.
After launching the upgraded RZ earlier this month, Lexus said the ES would be next. It’s expected to go on sale in Spring 2026.
What do you think of the redesigned 2026 ES? Do you like the new Lexus design? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Tesla has launched a new version of the Model Y in China, and it’s achieving an impressive new range rating – thanks to a new battery cell from South Korea’s LG.
The new variant, a five-seat, rear-wheel drive long-range model, has been released with an 821-km range based on China’s CLTC standard.
While the CLTC rating is known to be optimistic, 821 km (about 510 miles) is an impressive number and the longest range Tesla has offered in its Model Y lineup to date, which is going to help it be more competitive in the Chinese market.
This new extended range Model Y version is made possible by using the 78.4-kWh ternary lithium-ion battery pack from LG Energy Solution, the same pack found in the also recently launched 830-km range Model 3 variant.
The new long-range RWD Model Y starts at RMB 288,500, which translates to just over $40,500 USD.
The launch comes at a critical time for Tesla in China, which has seen its sales slump in recent months. The automaker recorded its lowest monthly sales in October since November 2022, falling out of the top 10 list for new energy vehicle (NEV) sales.
That’s despite a continued surge in electric vehicle sales in China. Tesla is not benefiting from it amid strong competition.
According to local Chinese media reports, the new 821-km Model Y is already gaining traction with some anecdotal reports of enthusiasm at Tesla stores.
The reports are partly supported by Tesla quickly extending delivery timelines from 2-4 weeks to 4-6 weeks just hours after launch.
Electrek’s Take
I think this is going to be suitable for a decent short-term bump in demand, but it’s still on the expensive side for the Chinese market.
For example, now the Model Y beats the Xpeng G6’s max range of 755 km, but the G6 with this range costs 234,900 RMB (approximately $32,900 USD), which is significantly cheaper.
Every 10,000 RMB tranche lower means a lot more demand in China.
Tesla needs to launch its new “standard” versions to start making a difference with demand long term in China.
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