---
title: "Senator Schumer Proposes $462B Trade-In Program to Swap Gas for Electric Cars"
description: "Owners could get thousands of dollars to trade into EVs or hybrids, but only if they're assembled in the United States."
date: "2019-10-25"
modified: "2019-10-25"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/30657/senator-schumer-proposes-462b-program-to-stimulate-gasoline-for-electric-car-swap"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "News"
---

# Senator Schumer Proposes $462B Trade-In Program to Swap Gas for Electric Cars

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/01/gettyimages-472335166-copy.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

On Thursday night, New York Democratic Senator [Chuck Schumer submitted a radical new plan](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/22025/new-york-senator-schumer-wants-stronger-consumer-protection-from-flood-cars>) to drastically reduce the amount of gasoline-powered vehicles on the road and get millions of Americans into electric or hybrid vehicles sooner rather than later. The proposal involves a $462 billion trade-in program that if approved, could motivate the American people to swap their climate-damaging cars for cleaner vehicles, according to [*Reuters*](<https://reuters.com/article/us-autos-emissions-congress/senate-democrat-schumer-proposes-plan-to-swap-gas-cars-for-electric-vehicles-idUSKBN1X403N>).

The Senate Minority Leader called this a "proposal to bring clean cars to all of America," and it joins many larger-than-life plans submitted by Democratic presidential candidates to help curb gas, oil, and coal emissions. It essentially would make billions of dollars available to drivers[ who would be willing to get rid](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/26637/americans-cite-range-anxiety-cost-as-largest-barriers-for-new-ev-purchases-study>) of their gasoline-burning cars for a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully electric vehicle. According to the plan, rebates of $3,000 or more to individual buyers would help transition a quarter of all U.S. cars, or the equivalent to 63 million vehicles, from internal combustion to electrified within 10 years.

"The goal of the plan, which also aims to spur a transformation in American manufacturing, is that by 2040 *all* vehicles on the road should be clean," wrote Schumer on his column for the [*New York Times*](<https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/opinion/chuck-schumer-electric-car.html>).

https://twitter.com/_/status/1187556644886122496

Schumer highlighted that only electric or hybrid vehicles assembled in the United States would qualify for the subsidy, reinforcing that this program wouldn't just help tackle a climate problem, but would also create thousands of jobs and be good for the American economy. Other details of the plan revealed that low-income households and vehicles with a certain percentage of [American-made parts](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/27255/volkswagen-groups-first-affordable-electric-car-will-be-priced-under-22400>) could also qualify for extra credits.

"I have a proposal that is supported not just by environmentalists but also by labor and large automakers," added Schumer.

Considering Americans have often cited [range anxiety and high prices](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/26637/americans-cite-range-anxiety-cost-as-largest-barriers-for-new-ev-purchases-study>) as the largest barriers for EV ownership, this program helps tackle the latter as technology has taken care of the former over the last few years. Although not mentioned during his speech, the Senate Minority Leader's plan bears a certain resemblance to the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) from 2009, which is more commonly known as "Cash for Clunkers." CARS awarded a $3 billion economic incentive to trade in old, gas-guzzling cars for newer and more fuel-efficient ones.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)