Mike Murphy, veteran Republican strategist and founder of EVs for America, proves you can love Detroit muscle, GOP grit, and EVs without short circuiting your identity. On today's episode, he shares eye opening polling showing Republicans' old "EVs are for tree-huggers" vibe has flipped from a +18 net agree to a -2 in just three years, a 20-point thaw. Yet Elon Musk remains the ultimate party-poisoner. Adored by 67% of Republicans as an EV ambassador, but overall trashed so badly that Tesla now lurks near the bottom among serious EV shoppers. Meanwhile, China's playing 4D chess by subsidizing EVs to oblivion, aiming to hollow out American and allied auto industries like a geopolitical termite.

**NOTE: Canada has just struck a major trade deal with China on January 16, 2026, slashing the previous 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles down to a 6.1% most-favored-nation rate, allowing up to 49,000 Chinese EVs (like affordable models from BYD) into the market annually with the quota set to rise to about 70,000 in five years in exchange for China cutting steep duties on key Canadian exports like canola. This marks a sharp break from the U.S.'s protectionist stance and aims to boost Canada's lagging EV sales (which tanked in 2025), spur potential Chinese investment in local auto production, though it's sparking backlash from figures like Ontario Premier Doug Ford over risks to domestic jobs and industry.

Meanwhile, Mike says it's time for defensive subsidies to keep our factories humming, and rightly so. California, where one in three U.S. EVs finds a home, emerges as the critical battleground, with Mike lobbying hard for a fresh $2,000–$4,000 credit (for first-timer EV buyers) and multifamily overnight charging to unlock the apartment-dweller market. He dismisses the "EV winter" doomscrolling as overblown and notes solid products like the bargain Nissan Leaf, Ford's cost-slaying next-gen platform, and GM's new battery tech will keep the momentum rolling. California listeners: consider this your bat signal and email your assembly members to back those credits and charging incentives, then swing by the American EV Jobs Alliance site to arm yourself with their advocacy tools and maybe even chip in? Mike and his team are out here doing great work, throw him a few shekels if you can!

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Check out: Fixing America’s Partisan Divide Over EVs: Tracking Three Years of Slow Progress

Connect with Mike Murphy on X, LinkedIn and listen to his podcast "Hacks on Tap"

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Connect with Elena:

https://evs4everyone.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaciccotelli/

Let's talk on X:

https://twitter.com/EVs_forEveryone

Are you connected with the show on LinkedIn?

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-evs-for-everyone-podcast/

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