A 1995 Dodge Ram Shows What US EV Policy Keeps Missing

Old, high-mileage trucks and cars are a hard case for climate policy. A well-kept 1995 pickup that's paid off can still be the financially sound choice for its owner, even though it burns far more gas and produces far more carbon dioxide each year than an efficient electric truck running on the average US grid. That gap between what's rational for a household and what's better for emissions is the problem policy hasn't solved.

Cheaper electric trucks are starting to change the math. Slate's basic electric pickup lists around $24,950 with about 205 miles of range, and Ford plans a midsize electric truck for 2027 with a target starting price near $30,000. At those prices, plus lower fuel and maintenance costs that can save an owner around $220 a month compared with a 14-mpg truck, replacing an old gas guzzler starts to look like a better deal, though it still may not beat keeping a vehicle that's already paid for.

Federal tax credits for new and used electric vehicles are no longer available for vehicles bought after September 30, 2025. The case here is for a different kind of incentive: scrappage payments that scale with how much a vehicle pollutes, how many miles it's driven, and how much life it has left, with extra help for lower-income households and full eligibility for used EVs. The idea is to make replacing a heavy-polluting old vehicle pay off at the moment an owner would naturally consider it, not to argue anyone driving an old truck today is making a bad choice.