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File this one under “H” for “How To Shoot Yourself In The Foot.” US President Donald Trump set out to wage war against the vehicle electrification movement upon taking office last year. All was going according to plan until February 28, 2026, when Trump single-handedly launched the US into a full scale war against Iran. Now the cost of fuel has gone through the roof and the case for EVs is stronger trhan ever. General Motors, for one, is already licking its chops in anticipation of robust sales to come.
It’s A Market Reset, Not A Reversal
Last year, everything seemed to be going Trump’s way. He jammed up NEVI, a Biden era, $7 billion federal funding pot earmarked for states to establish a network of public fast charging stations on major highways, and his Republican allies in Congress killed the $7,500 federal tax credit for new EVs. As anticipated, EV sales in the US took a nosedive after the tax credit expired at the end of September.
And yet, signs were already emerging that Trump was on the losing side of the EV wars. Private sector stakeholders continued to build out the nation’s public fast charging network all last year, NEVI or not. For that matter, some states had already spent at least part of the NEVI funds, making it difficult if not impossible for Trump to claw back the money. Additionally, in August a federal judge ruled that Trump had no authority to freeze the NEVI program in the first place.
On the sales side, auto industry analysts anticipate that overall sales will get a lift this year when a a huge flood of off-lease EVs hits the US market. State-based incentives and utility rebates may also offset some of the damage done by loss of the tax credit.
Still, there was plenty of damage to go around. After the tax credit expired on September 30, flame-outs in the Q4 2025 figures for new car sales included Nissan and GM’s Chevrolet branch.
Ford, Kia and Volkswagen, though, avoided utter catastrophe, while GM’s Cadillac branch actually managed to pull off a year-on-year increase in sales for Q4.
GM Looks On The Bright Side Of EV Sales
With all that buzzing around in the background, on April 1 GM released its Q1 2026 results with a rosy take on the future.
“GM is well-positioned for the next phase of EV growth, which will be driven by product appeal and continued expansion of the public charging infrastructure,” the company noted before going on to list these particulars:
— The Chevrolet Equinox EV and Blazer EV, and the Cadillac LYRIQ and OPTIQ, were ranked among the best electric SUVs by MotorTrend, and the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV, were ranked among the best electric pickups
— A recent J.D. Power study shows EV-owner satisfaction at its highest level since 2021, with 96% of new owners saying they would consider purchasing or leasing another EV for their next vehicle
— It is getting easier to own an EV as the charging infrastructure continues to grow. GM drivers now have access to more than 245,000 public chargers across North America
— GM’s partnership with Pilot Company and EVgo has resulted in the installation of more than 1,000 DC fast-charging stalls across 40 states
— IONNA – the fast-charging network backed by GM and seven other automakers – celebrated the opening of its 100th station in March, which includes 14 stations on the I-70 corridor between Washington, D.C. and Denver (see more IONNA background here).
GM also took note of the growing role of the Silverado EV Work Truck in its overall fleet business, which registered its best sales since 2020. The benchmark year of 2020 is significant because Q1 2020 included the first 2-1/2 months preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, economic collapse and supply chain disruptions that spun out over the ensuing years.
More EVs For The USA
Zeroing in on the Cadillac success story, GM added some notches to its belt, reporting that Cadillac EV sales were up 20% with more than 9,500 units sold in Q1. “Escalade continues to lead the large luxury segment in both the gasoline and EV segments,” GM also stated.
“Fast Company ranked Cadillac among its ‘Most Innovative Companies’ for 2026 for expanding its luxury legacy into electrification,” GM added for good measure.
For reasons best known only to itself, in a press release describing Q1 results GM somehow slotted its report on the Chevy Bolt crossover EV into a summary of pickup truck sales. “Bolt EV sales gaining momentum with first month of deliveries, contributing to Chevrolet total EV sales of about 13,400,” GM noted.
Bolt lovers, if you want to grab a 2027 Bolt don’t go gathering daisies. Get one while you can. In October last year, GM launched the 2027 Bolt with a warning. “Bolt will offer the most range in an EV under $30,000. It will begin shipping to customers early next year and will be a limited run model,” the company advised.
Since the Silverado EV Work Truck is an actual pickup truck, let’s take a closer look at that. The specs include an estimated 493 miles of range, maximum payload of up to 1,400 pounds, and towing up to 10,500 pounds.
As may be expected of any electric work truck worth its salt, the Silverado delivers power to on-site equipment without the noise, pollution, and expense of diesel generators.
“The Silverado EV WT has 8 power outlets that can be used to power jobsite equipment from laptops to power tools,” GM notes.
“The under-hood eTrunk™ provides a 110-volt AC outlet. The cab has one 120-volt AC outlets, while the bed has four 120-volt AC outlets and one 240-volt AC outlet,” GM elaborates, while reminding everyone that an upgrade is available, boosting the 7.2 kilowatt offboarding capability to 10.2 kilowatts.
Who Voted For This Guy, Anyways?
Meanwhile, the law of unintended consequences is working overtime as Trump’s Excellent Adventure™ in Iran continues to produce results in global fuel markets, only just not the results Trump intended.
A refreshed interest in passenger and pickup EVs in the US market is just one of those results. The diesel truck sector is also impacted of course, in more ways than one.
In addition to absorbing a Trump-induced punch-up in the cost of diesel fuel, truckers are facing a potential shortage of diesel exhaust fluid, which enables trucks to avoid sudden power loss while meeting pollution standards. Trump — bless his heart — has fixed that problem for newly manufactured trucks beginning in 2027, but in the here and now of 2026 that’s not going to help fleet owners and independent truckers.
As a reminder, truck drivers in Canada and the US bolluxed up the Biden administration with “drive-ins”protests during the run-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. How’s that working out for you now? Asking for a friend…
Photo: General Motors has an EV trick or two up its sleeve as US President Donald Trump makes the case for vehicle electrification stronger than ever before (cropped, courtesy of GM).
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