Trump's Policies Have Killed Or Delayed $83 Billion In Clean Energy Investments

Good morning! It's Tuesday, July 14, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around.

In this morning's edition, President Trump's "clean energy" policies have been linked to $83 billion in canceled and delayed projects, California is rolling out a $3,500 incentive for first-time EV buyers, Stellantis is planning a new mid-size Alfa Romeo SUV by the middle of next year, and over half-a-million Subarus are being recalled for the wrong sticker.

Oh, and if you want a recap of the latest auto news delivered to your inbox each weekday morning because life is busy and you can't always head to our website, you can sign up for Jalopnik's free The Morning Shift newsletter right here.

When Donald Trump was elected to his second term in office, we knew his policies wouldn't exactly be friendly to the environmentally conscious initiatives put in place by the Biden administration, but we're now getting a fuller look at just what a disaster it has been. His scaling back of federal support for clean energy has led to the cancellation or delay of $82.9 billion in investments across hundreds of projects.

This is according to a report by labor and environmental coalition BlueGreen Alliance. It found that 223 manufacturing and clean energy projects worth over $80 billion in investment, as well as 111,765 jobs, have been stalled or canceled by Big Don. Most of that has been attributed to Trump's signature tax and spending package, with repealed or curtailed Biden-era incentives as well as other administration actions aimed at reducing federal support for renewable energy and electric vehicles. From Reuters:

[T]he report said that 3,034 manufacturing, energy and industrial ⁠projects ​face stricter tax credit eligibility requirements under ​Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, putting an estimated $695.2 billion in investment and nearly 1.2 ​million projected jobs at risk.

[...]

Trump has said renewable energy sources like wind and solar are unreliable and unfairly subsidized.

The report also said federal funding cuts and regulatory rollbacks initiated in 2025 have weakened workplace protections ​for workers in ​energy and industrial ⁠sectors.

Among the smatter of changes cited were the rollback of EPA rules that governed hazardous industries and delays to a silica exposure rule intended to protect coal miners from inhaling silica dust. Since that's been phased out, there has been a resurgence of black lung disease. I sure love living in the olden days. Don't you?

I hope you like colder winters and hotter summers, because they're about to get even more extreme.

Since one of the many environmental programs Trump killed was the $7,500 EV tax credit, California decided to spin up its own rebate. First-time electric vehicle buyers in the Golden State will get $3,500 off a new EV with an MSRP up to $50,000, and those who are buying a used EV for $25,000 or less can get $1,750. We've previously reported on this, but the bill was officially signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday.

$50,000 can be a bit tight in the EV world, which is why it's pretty good news that California-based companies like Lucid and Rivian are exempt from the 50-grand cost cap. It's not clear if Tesla will get the same sort of benefits, since it started in California and still builds some of its vehicles there, but its official company headquarters is technically in Austin, Texas. From Car and Driver:

Of course, that's if Tesla and other automakers play ball. The law restricts these deals to cars from "participating automakers," which are currently unknown. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) says it hopes to release the list of participating automakers next month, and the point-of-sale discount is supposed to go into effect later this summer.

[...]

If GM signs on, the highly affordable Chevy Bolt could cost as little as $25,495. Should Nissan participate, the Leaf would come in at just over $28,000. That's typically where the sub-$35K list ends, but the new law could bring cars from Tesla, Ford, Subaru, and Toyota into the mix for Californians.

The $3500 discount probably won't be more than a drop in the bucket when paying for a Lucid Air Sapphire, but the brand's fans could be able to get their hands on the least expensive model—an Air Pure—for just $68,900, which is down from its $72,400 initial ask. And for buyers looking for other EVs that cost $50,000 or less, this might be the motivation they need to transition into the lifestyle at a more affordable rate.

The California bill states that the discount will be applied to the vehicle price at the dealer, meaning there's no extra paperwork or rebate instructions to get the deal. While there's not yet an official timeline for when the discounts will take effect, Newsom's office says we can expect to see them roll out later this summer.

The state has set aside $135.5 million for the program from its 2026-2027 budget. Participating car companies are matching the investment to create a pool of $270 million for first-time EV buyers. While it's not quite as good a deal as the $7,500 federal tax credit, it's certainly a big help to folks looking to get behind the wheel of an EV.

Alfa Romeo is cooking up the first of its planned new models by the end of next year as its two mainstays, the Giulia sedan and Stelvio crossover, continue long into their twilight years. The new model is set to be a mid-size SUV, and it'll be produced in the company's Melfi factory in southern Italy. From Reuters:

As part of ​the new Stellantis business plan, Alfa Romeo will launch ⁠a further new model, described as a C-segment hatchback, ​by 2030, based on the automaker's STLA One new modular ​platform

Alfa Romeo's existing lineup also includes the Junior compact SUV, for which it plans a revamped version, and the Tonale mid-sized SUV, due ​to be replaced by the new model expected in ​2027.

The brand is still assessing options for future large-sized models, while keeping ‌the ⁠old Giulia and Stelvio, which currently cover Alfa's offering in this segment, in production until 2027.

There's no word on whether the new crossover will serve as a replacement for the Stelvio or not. I feel like it's probably a safe bet to assume so, but who the hell knows anymore? Alfa is a strange company that likes to do strange things.

Subaru is recalling 541,237 2019-2026 Ascents, 2026 Crosstrek Hybrids, and 2025-2026 Foresters and Forester Hybrids for one of the goofiest reasons I've heard in a long time: the cars were fitted with the incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating on the certification label. Because of that simple mistake, they've got to be fixed. Keep in mind, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the car. From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge.

NHTSA says owners should receive letters regarding the "safety risk" by August 25, and an additional letter will be mailed out once a remedy is available (i.e. once a new sticker is printed). Be safe out there, folks.

History.com

France has been dealing with historic heat waves all summer, and I've heard endless discussions about how hard it would be to install air conditioners in their old buildings. Do you know what else was hard? Toppling the monarchy, and they still do that. Put down the cigarette and get to work, Pierre. Anyway, if you want to learn more about the storming of the Bastille, head over to History.com.

I actually have some good news. For whatever goddamn reason, gas prices are actually down a bit. No, it doesn't make sense to me, either — especially when considering the fact that WTI Crude Oil futures and Brent Crude prices are elevated, sitting at $80 and $85, respectively, at the time of publication.

Here's where national average prices stand right now, according to AAA:

AAA

What this means is the average price of a gallon of regular gas dropped another cent overnight, so it's currently sitting at $3.86. I don't get it either, but I'm not going to question it. I'm not sure if this is a new trend as gas prices return to pre-war normalcy or a blip as prices rise back to where they were on May 21, when gas hit $4.56 per gallon — a 2026 record.

I need Oasis to go back on tour like I need my next breath. At the very least, that concert documentary needs to come out very soon. Noel, Liam, please remember how much you like money and get back on the road. I'm going through withdrawls.