Three U.S. electric-vehicle makers are planning around the loss of federal buyer credits, with their executives telling CNBC they would welcome support but are not counting on Congress to restore it.
Democratic lawmakers’ offices say the party will control both chambers when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2027. The expected change in congressional control has raised the prospect of renewed debate over EV policy, though the executives described plans that do not depend on a reversal.
Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh told CNBC the company was designed to operate without depending on legislation that could change. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said he hoped for bipartisan progress but was not factoring a policy shift into Rivian’s plans. “We try not to plan for those sort of things,” Scaringe said.
CNBC reported Lucid CEO Silvio Napoli said the company would welcome any positive support. He described its approach as: “Plan for the worst and … hope for the best.”
The Internal Revenue Service says the clean-vehicle credits ended for vehicles acquired after Sept. 30, 2025. A later delivery could still qualify if the buyer had entered a binding written contract and made a payment by the deadline, subject to the program’s rules. For eligible new vehicles, the former Section 30D credit reached $7,500, with half tied to critical-mineral requirements and half to battery-component rules.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act amended the credit. Public Law 119-21, enacted July 4, 2025, moved the cutoff from vehicles placed in service after Dec. 31, 2032, to vehicles acquired after Sept. 30, 2025.
New EVs remained more expensive than the broader market in September. Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand, reported an average transaction price of $55,879 for a new EV, versus $50,562 for all new vehicles.
Rachel McCleery, executive director of the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility at SAFE, told CNBC she expects debate over future EV and supply-chain incentives. “I fully expect there will be legislative debates over what to do moving forward, including on EV and EV supply chain incentives,” she said. The new Congress is due to convene Jan. 3, 2027.
