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Teslas and other EVs could enter a golden decade with newly-introduced US bill
Teslas and other electric cars may very well enter a golden age of sorts in the United States, if a newly-proposed bill makes it through. Dubbed as the Electric CARS Act, the bill aims to update the EV tax credit by extending it for ten years and removing the number of eligible vehicles per manufacturer. The bill also seeks to support the buildout of more electric car charging infrastructure.
A federal tax credit of up to $7,500 is currently available for customers who purchase an electric vehicle. However, the current system phases out this credit after an automaker sells its first 200,000 electric cars. Tesla and General Motors have both passed this threshold, which means buyers of both companies’ electric vehicles no longer receive their $7,500 tax credit. With this system in place, the United States practically makes incentives for car buyers to purchase imported EVs instead of those from local automakers like GM.
Tesla, for its part, has been pushing its electric vehicles without the $7,500 tax credit since the end of 2018 (reduced credits were implemented over 2019), when the company passed its 200,000-vehicle threshold. Fortunately, Tesla’s vehicles like the Model 3 and Model Y have stood well on their own merits, garnering critical and consumer support even without tax credits. If the Electric CARS Act passes, companies like Tesla could make an even stronger push into the automotive sector.
The Electric CARS Act aims to improve the federal tax credit through the following means:
- The elimination of the cap for EV makers. The bill would allow consumers access to the tax credit for the next ten years, regardless of the manufacturer they buy their EV from. Under these terms, even Tesla and GM electric car buyers would be able to get their tax credits once more.
- A 5-year use period. The bill would allow buyers to use their respective tax credits over a 5-year period, meaning that EV customers could apply the credit either at the point of purchase or later on. Such a system would make the tax credit more applicable to buyers without large tax liabilities.
- Charging infrastructure support. The bill would provide a 10-year extension of tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles and charging infrastructure. This incentivizes the buildout of EV charging systems like Tesla’s Supercharger Network and other rapid charging services like Electrify America.
The Electric CARS Act is sponsored by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), both of whom highlighted the importance of the electric vehicle sector in the United States. In a statement to Channel 21 News, Merkley stated that the bill is apt considering the ongoing climate chaos. He also highlighted the importance of supporting EVs made by American workers in American factories.
“As climate chaos continues to ramp up with record-setting winter storms, violent hurricanes, and catastrophic wildfires, it is imperative that we transition away from gasoline-powered vehicles, which are fanning the flames of the crisis. Consumers are already looking for electric cars, and this bill will help drive adoption faster—and make sure more of those cars are made by American workers in American factories,” Merkley said.
Welch, for his part, explained that supporting electric cars would be a common-sense win for consumers, especially considering that EVs are practical to own.
“We need to quickly and aggressively invest in electric vehicles to combat the global climate emergency that threatens all of our local communities. Owning an electric vehicle can be cheaper and offers significant public health and environmental benefits, but for many Americans, they are unaffordable at the dealership. This bill makes the next generation of electric vehicles accessible to more people by allowing them to receive the electric vehicle tax credit right away. Encouraging electric vehicle adoption is a common-sense win for consumers, the environment, and American workers,” Welch noted.
Led by Tesla and its S3XY line, electric vehicles have disrupted the automotive industry, even without the presence of the $7,500 tax credit. With the Electric CARS Act in effect, companies like Tesla could reach an even bigger consumer market, bringing EVs further into mainstream buyers. Ultimately, the newly-proposed bill has the potential to usher in a golden age of electric cars in the United States. After all, if Tesla could emerge as a competitive automaker even without the country’s primary EV incentive, one could only imagine the heights the company could reach with less handicaps.
The text of the Electric CARS Act could be viewed below.
21.02.23 Electric Cars 2021 by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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Elon Musk
GM CEO Mary Barra says she told Biden to give Tesla and Musk EV credit
“He was crediting me, and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla…You know me, Andrew. I don’t want to take credit for things.”
General Motors CEO Mary Barra said in a new interview on Wednesday that she told President Joe Biden to credit Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for the widespread electric vehicle transition.
She said she told Biden this after the former President credited her and GM for leading EV efforts in the United States.
During an interview at the New York Times Dealbook Summit with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Barra said she told Biden that crediting her was essentially a mistake, and that Musk and Tesla should have been explicitly mentioned (via Business Insider):
“He was crediting me, and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla…You know me, Andrew. I don’t want to take credit for things.”
GM CEO Mary Barra said to Andrew Sorkin at the New York Times Dealbook Summit that she pulled President Biden aside and said Tesla CEO @elonmusk deserved the credit for EVs:
“He was crediting me, and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla,’” Barra… pic.twitter.com/OHBTG1QfbJ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 3, 2025
Back in 2021, President Biden visited GM’s “Factory Zero” plant in Detroit, which was the centerpiece of the company’s massive transition to EVs. The former President went on to discuss the EV industry, and claimed that GM and Barra were the true leaders who caused the change:
“In the auto industry, Detroit is leading the world in electric vehicles. You know how critical it is? Mary, I remember talking to you way back in January about the need for America to lead in electric vehicles. I can remember your dramatic announcement that by 2035, GM would be 100% electric. You changed the whole story, Mary. You did, Mary. You electrified the entire automotive industry. I’m serious. You led, and it matters.”
People were baffled by the President’s decision to highlight GM and Barra, and not Tesla and Musk, who truly started the transition to EVs. GM, Ford, and many other companies only followed in the footsteps of Tesla after it started to take market share from them.
Elon Musk and Tesla try to save legacy automakers from Déjà vu
Musk would eventually go on to talk about Biden’s words later on:
“They have so much power over the White House that they can exclude Tesla from an EV Summit. And, in case the first thing, in case that wasn’t enough, then you have President Biden with Mary Barra at a subsequent event, congratulating Mary for having led the EV revolution.”
In Q4 2021, which was shortly after Biden’s comments, Tesla delivered 300,000 EVs. GM delivered just 26.
News
Tesla Full Self-Driving shows confident navigation in heavy snow
So far, from what we’ve seen, snow has not been a huge issue for the most recent Full Self-Driving release. It seems to be acting confidently and handling even snow-covered roads with relative ease.
Tesla Full Self-Driving is getting its first taste of Winter weather for late 2025, as snow is starting to fall all across the United States.
The suite has been vastly improved after Tesla released v14 to many owners with capable hardware, and driving performance, along with overall behavior, has really been something to admire. This is by far the best version of FSD Tesla has ever released, and although there are a handful of regressions with each subsequent release, they are usually cleared up within a week or two.
Tesla is releasing a modified version of FSD v14 for Hardware 3 owners: here’s when
However, adverse weather conditions are something that Tesla will have to confront, as heavy rain, snow, and other interesting situations are bound to occur. In order for the vehicles to be fully autonomous, they will have to go through these scenarios safely and accurately.
One big issue I’ve had, especially in heavy rain, is that the camera vision might be obstructed, which will display messages that certain features’ performance might be degraded.
So far, from what we’ve seen, snow has not been a huge issue for the most recent Full Self-Driving release. It seems to be acting confidently and handling even snow-covered roads with relative ease:
FSD 14.1.4 snow storm Ontario Canada pic.twitter.com/jwK1dLYT0w
— Everything AI (@mrteslaspace) November 17, 2025
I found the steepest, unplowed hill in my area and tested the following:
• FSD 14.2.1 on summer tires
• FSD 14.2.1 on winter tires
• Manual drivingBut I think the most impressive part was how FSD went DOWN the hill. FSD in the snow is sublime $TSLA pic.twitter.com/YMcN7Br3PU
— Dillon Loomis (@DillonLoomis) December 2, 2025
Well.. I couldn’t let the boys have all the fun!
Threw the GoPro up and decided to FSD v14.2.1 in the snow. Roads were not compacted like the other day, a little slippery, but overall doable at lower speeds. Enjoy the video and holiday music 🎶
Liked:
Took turns super slow… pic.twitter.com/rIAIeh3Zu3— 🦋Diana🦋 (@99_Colorado) December 3, 2025
Moving into the winter months, it will be very interesting to see how FSD handles even more concerning conditions, especially with black ice, freezing rain and snow mix, and other things that happen during colder conditions.
We are excited to test it ourselves, but I am waiting for heavy snowfall to make it to Pennsylvania so I can truly push it to the limit.
News
Tesla hosts Rome Mayor for first Italian FSD Supervised road demo
The event marked the first time an Italian mayor tested the advanced driver-assistance system in person in Rome’s urban streets.
Tesla definitely seems to be actively engaging European officials on FSD’s capabilities, with the company hosting Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Mobility Assessor Eugenio Patanè for a hands-on road demonstration.
The event marked the first time an Italian mayor tested the advanced driver-assistance system in person in Rome’s urban streets. This comes amid Tesla’s push for FSD’s EU regulatory approvals in the coming year.
Rome officials experience FSD Supervised
Tesla conducted the demo using a Model 3 equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised), tackling typical Roman traffic including complex intersections, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and mixed users like cars, bikes and scooters.
The system showcased AI-based assisted driving, prioritizing safety while maintaining flow. FSD also handled overtakes and lane decisions, though with constant driver supervision.
Investor Andrea Stroppa detailed the event on X, noting the system’s potential to reduce severe collision risks by up to seven times compared to traditional driving, based on Tesla’s data from billions of global fleet miles. The session highlighted FSD’s role as an assistance tool in its Supervised form, not a replacement, with the driver fully responsible at all times.
Path to European rollout
Tesla has logged over 1 million kilometers of testing across 17 European countries, including Italy, to refine FSD for local conditions. The fact that Rome officials personally tested FSD Supervised bodes well for the program’s approval, as it suggests that key individuals are closely watching Tesla’s efforts and innovations.
Assessor Patanè also highlighted the administration’s interest in technologies that boost road safety and urban travel quality, viewing them as aids for both private and public transport while respecting rules.
Replies on X urged involving Italy’s Transport Ministry to speed approvals, with one user noting, “Great idea to involve the mayor! It would be necessary to involve components of the Ministry of Transport and the government as soon as possible: it’s they who can accelerate the approval of FSD in Italy.”
GM CEO Mary Barra says she told Biden to give Tesla and Musk EV credit
Tesla Full Self-Driving shows confident navigation in heavy snow
