A 1995 Dodge Ram Shows What US EV Policy Keeps Missing

Old, high-mileage vehicles are a bigger climate problem than most people realize, but the usual response — a generic EV tax credit — doesn't fix the real math behind why owners keep them. A well-known example: a 1995 Dodge Ram pickup that gets 12 to 16 miles per gallon can produce 7 to 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year from gas alone, versus roughly 2 tonnes for an efficient electric pickup on today's grid. But if the truck is paid off, spending a few thousand dollars on repairs is far cheaper than buying a $50,000 electric replacement, so keeping it running is often the more rational choice for the household.

That calculation is starting to shift as electric trucks get cheaper. Slate's stripped-down electric pickup is priced at $24,950 with about 205 miles of range, and Ford has said its first midsize electric truck on a new platform will target around $30,000 when it arrives in 2027. At that price, lower fuel and maintenance costs — estimated around $220 a month, or about $2,600 a year, compared with a 14-mpg pickup — start to matter more.

The piece argues for scrappage incentives that scale with how much a vehicle pollutes and how many miles it has left, rather than treating every trade-in the same, with larger help for lower-income households. Note that federal new- and used-EV purchase tax credits ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, so any future incentives along these lines would depend on new state or federal programs — worth watching if you're weighing when to replace an old, thirsty vehicle.