The White House is looking to hike the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's defect investigation budget after automakers doubled the previous recall record last year with almost 64 million vehicles. But it also wants to get EV incentives up, which has about as much chance as Fiat making a dime on the 500E.
The NHTSA defect investigation budget is proposed to be increased to $31.3 million, up $9.7 million from the previous year, primarily spurred by Congress taking the agency to task after the GM ignition switch recall that affected 2.6 million cars and at least 51 deaths.
Additionally, David Shepardson at the Detroit News reports:
Separately, the White House is again proposing boosting electric vehicle tax incentives to $10,000 — up from the current $7,500 — and expand it to other advanced technology vehicles like compressed natural gas. It wants to convert the credit to a point-of-sale rebate. But that proposal has gone nowhere.
This is something that President Obama has proposed at least twice in the past and has gained little to no traction. And the chances of it flying this time around, particularly given the Republican control of both Houses and the point-of-sale proposal, seems even more absurd.