US$454b plan to ditch ICE for EVs

US senator Chuck Schumer proposes a US$454 billion plan over 10 years to help his country switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) to cleaner vehicles by offering rebates of about US$3000 to US$5000 or more to individual buyers.

A further US$2000 would be offered low income buyers of American made electric, plug-in hybrid or fuel cell vehicles while driveable vehicles eight-years-old or more would be scrapped under the proposal.

It would also provide US$45b for further EV charging stations and US$17b in incentives for auto manufacturers to establish new factories or reconfigure existing plants for zero-emission vehicles or charging equipment.

That’s expected to help transition 25% of the US fleet (about 63 million vehicles) within the 10-year time frame.

Schumer says in The New York Times there’s a need to act urgently and ambitiously to help avoid climate change impacts.

News media reports the proposal is similar to the 2009 US$3 billion ‘Cash for Clunkers’ plan that unsuccessfully sought to encourage US vehicle sales.

Cash For Clunkers required cars to be traded in for crushing, which meant parts couldn’t be recycled and ended in a landfill, Jalopnik reports, adding the scheme had other downsides too.