Ford And GM Throw $1M Each At Trump’s Inauguration Amid EV And Emissions Fears

GM and Ford join other major companies in donating to the incoming President’s inauguration.
Trump may roll back fuel economy standards, increasing vehicle emissions limits by up to 25%.
The $7,500 federal EV tax credit could be eliminated, significantly impacting future sales.

Ford and GM appear eager to get in the good graces of incoming President Donald Trump and have each committed $1 million to his inauguration. The two carmakers will also supply vehicles for the event, although it’s unclear how many cars they will provide.

It’s easy to understand why Ford and GM feel it’s necessary to throw their support behind Trump. Under the new administration, the automotive industry is expected to undergo many significant changes. Not only is Donald Trump tipped to ditch the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but he may also wind back emissions regulations. Additionally, tariffs placed on imports from countries like China and Mexico could increase manufacturing costs for Ford, GM, and other American automakers.

Read: Trump Could Rollback Fuel Economy Standards, Slash Support For EVs

This isn’t the first time Ford has donated to Trump. The Blue Oval committed $250,000 to Trump’s inauguration in 2017. This year, it’ll be joined by several other major corporations who have already committed to hefty donations for the inauguration fund, USA Today reports.

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“What I’m excited about is working with the administration to make sure that we’re rewarded for our commitment to America and Michigan,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said. “Ford’s employment profile and importance in the U.S. economy and manufacturing, you can imagine the administration will be very interested in Ford’s point of view.”

Likewise, GM’s head, Mary Bara, recently stated that the automaker and the incoming President are “very goal-aligned”, despite in the past being at loggerheads in the past. “Any time you have an administrative change, there’s policy changes that occur,” Barra conceded. “We’ve been working with every administration for the last several decades, and General Motors will continue to do that. But I’m actually looking forward to working with the president and with the administration, because I think we can grow the importance of the auto industry and manufacturing.”

Ford And GM Throw $1M Each At Trump’s Inauguration Amid EV And Emissions Fears

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has also committed to a $1 million donation for the festivities. This comes despite Zuckerberg banning Trump from Facebook and Instagram after the January 6 riots at the Capitol four years ago. Amazon will also stream the event on Amazon Video, and OpenAI has also chimed in with a $1 million donation. The Trump campaign raised a record $106.7 million for his 2017 inauguration, while Joe Biden raised more than $61 million in 2021.

More: Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota Beg Trump Not To Axe EV Tax Credits

Recent documents from the incoming Trump administration indicate that fuel economy standards could be rolled back to 2019 levels, which could boost the average allowable emissions per vehicle mile by 25%. Moreover, Trump is reported to be aiming to block California from setting its own stricter vehicle emissions regulations, which could also affect other states that follow the CARB’s standards. The newly-elected President may also pull leftover funds from Biden’s $7.5 billion pledge to establish a network of EV charging stations across the United States.