WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co have sharply criticized a proposal by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to give union-made electric vehicles in the United States an additional $4,500 tax incentive.
Toyota said in a statement that the plan unveiled late Friday discriminates “against American autoworkers based on their choice not to unionize.”
The bill, set to be voted on Tuesday by the Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee as part of a proposed $3.5 trillion spending bill, would benefit Detroit’s Big Three automakers, which have union-represented auto plants.
In a statement, Honda called the bill “unfair” and said it “discriminates among EVs made by hard-working American auto workers based simply on whether they belong to a union. ... The Honda production associates in Alabama, Indiana and Ohio who will build our EVs deserve fair and equal treatment by Congress.”
The proposal, estimated to cost $33 billion to $34 billion over 10 years, would boost to up to $12,500 the maximum tax credit for electric vehicles, up from the current $7,500. The $12,500 figure includes a $500 credit for using U.S.-produced batteries.
The proposal is a key part of Democratic President Joe Biden’s goal to ensure EVs comprise at least 50% of U.S. vehicle sales by 2030 and boost American union jobs.