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title: How The Climate Bill Could Help The U.S. Lead Global EV Race
description: The Inflation Reduction Act could go a long way in putting the U.S. back in the race as an electric vehicle leader
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# How The Climate Bill Could Help The U.S. Lead the Global Electric Vehicle Race

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> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=92df34cf-c045-4d52-95a4-9040aa4e4477&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily |
| Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) |
| Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily |
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| Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) |
| In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) |

Source: TIME, August 2026.

### Key data points

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

### TIME Newsletters: key statements

*   Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically.
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*   The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=92df34cf-c045-4d52-95a4-9040aa4e4477&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

#### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to?

It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters.

#### Are TIME's newsletters free?

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#### Who writes TIME's newsletters?

TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk.

#### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?

Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.

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by 

[Colin McKerracher/Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/)


## Colin McKerracher/Bloomberg


Contributor

Aug 2, 2022 2:49 PM UTC

![President Biden Visits GM ZERO Factory In Detroit](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f81a0a7d18aa8c9/698a344be6e84a4b282af2bf/biden-electric-vehicle-climate-change-inflation-reduction-act.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the General Motors Factory ZERO electric vehicle assembly plant on November 17, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the General Motors Factory ZERO electric vehicle assembly plant on November 17, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. Nic Antaya—Getty Images

by 

[Colin McKerracher/Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/)


## Colin McKerracher/Bloomberg


Contributor

Aug 2, 2022 2:49 PM UTC

This week, everyone working on energy and [climate](https://time.com/section/climate/) issues in the U.S. is intensely focused on the [Inflation Reduction Act](https://time.com/6201799/manchin-climate-deal/), looking for smoke signals as to whether it will pass and if any modifications will be made.

The bill is a potential boon to many sectors of the green economy, including [electric vehicles](https://time.com/5955386/electric-vehicles-made-in-the-us-biden/). Here are my team’s takeaways on some of the important EV-related aspects of the bill:

## **Tax Credit Extension**

The revival of the $7,500 tax credit is a big deal, especially for Tesla, General Motors and Toyota. All three have sold at least 200,000 vehicles that were eligible for the incentive as the system is set up now. Once manufacturers cross that threshold, buyers of their cars start to receive reduced credits, and eventually none at all. Ford and Nissan are nearing this point, as well.

The bill would make the full incentive available again starting next year, and importantly, would allow consumers to access the perk at the point of sale instead of during tax season.

Automakers that have had sold fewer [EVs](https://time.com/6173178/high-gas-prices-electric-vehicles/) might, in theory, be upset to see the 200,000-vehicle cap lifted, since it was bound to give them an advantage in the near term. But in practice, most should be happy to see the additional purchase support, since fuel economy regulations are set to tighten in the years ahead. This change will make it much easier to sell EVs and hit their targets.

While tax credits are important, it’s worth noting that Tesla buyers haven’t been eligible for federal tax credits for well over two years, and that hasn’t stopped the company from dominating the EV segment by accounting for more than 70% of battery-electric models sold in the US last year. Making products that consumers actually want is still more important than making products that qualify for tax credits.


## **Content Requirements**

As my Bloomberg News colleagues have [pointed out](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-29/manchin-sets-high-bar-for-tesla-and-gm-electric-car-tax-credits?sref=iW3WrQuv), the requirement that battery materials are sourced locally could be challenging for carmakers to navigate. There’s also a requirement that a share of other components are manufactured in North America.

In auto board rooms across the country this week, there are likely requests flowing down the organization and out to suppliers to determine which models will qualify and how quickly sourcing can be localized. BNEF’s analysis indicates mid-stream refining capacity for battery metals is more likely to be an issue than raw material supply.

## **A Boost for Commercial EVs**

New commercial EV provisions allow vehicles weighing less than 14,000 pounds to claim the $7,500 clean car tax credit. Heavier vehicles can have the lesser of two amounts: 30% of the differential between the clean vehicle and a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle, or a $40,000 incentive.


This would fully cover the cost of a 150 to 250 kilowatt-hour battery pack today, and will do more in the future as prices come down. It would be an immediate and significant boost to the nascent commercial EV market in the US, which lags Europe and China in most segments.

The bill also includes $3 billion to help the US Postal Service decarbonize its fleet and shift to EVs. The Postal Service recently announced it was increasing the portion of its initial 50,000 mail-truck purchase from Wisconsin-based Oshkosh that will be electric to 50%, a major win for activists who fought against the initial decision to go almost exclusively with combustion vehicles.

## **Loan Programs**

The package also includes $2 billion to help automakers retool and convert existing facilities to manufacture clean vehicles, and allows for as much as $20 billion in loans to help auto companies build new clean-vehicle facilities across the country. Ford, GM and Stellantis are likely to benefit from the conversion portion going into a contract-bargaining year with the United Auto Workers union. EV manufacturing in the US is already ramping up quickly, and this provision — which has largely flown under the radar — will further accelerate progress.


Importantly, many plants being built or retooled for EVs are in Republican states. For example, VW invested $800 million in its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and just announced last week it has [started producing](https://media.vw.com/en-us/releases/1698) the first ID.4 electric sport utility vehicles there. Having a strong EV manufacturing base in red states should help prevent EVs from being a political football as the next federal election cycle rolls around.

## **Outlook**

A sense of scale is important here. The bill would extend EV tax credit availability out to 2032\. Over that period, BNEF expects around 175 million light-duty vehicles will be sold in the U.S. As it stands now, a sizable and growing portion of those will be eligible for a tax credit.

There’s lots more to process — BNEF clients can access our full initial take [here](https://www.bnef.com/insights/29453) — but my initial feeling is that the bill, coupled with the stricter fuel-economy regulations the Biden administration is putting in place, should put the US right back in the race for EV leadership. China is off to a very strong head start, but these are still early days. Don’t count the US out.


—With assistance from Corey Cantor and Ethan Zindler.

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