On one hand allowing obviously superior and cheaper Chinese EVs into the states at MSRP would obliterate the automakers which are one of the last bastions of organized labor. On the other hand getting cheap EVs into people's hands is the outer limit of viable climate change action in this treat demon settler country.
EVs aren't a viable way to address climate change; overall primary energy use needs to decrease and EVs are still a very, very energy-intensive form of transportation. Organized labor will be a necessary component of any attempt to address climate change beyond offering people better treats.
It is however ridiculous because the dems have created a system where only affluent people can afford EVs; they'll pat them on the back and assure them they did their part to save the planet. Now if only the poors trundling along in their aged gasmobiles could get their shit together.
Protectionism can probably be done right, but this isn't it. I think the US will fall further behind and so will it's "green" transition (especially if Tesla actually implodes and takes its vendors with it).
I also know that the US is not going to push back against consumerism, so it doesn't matter how many products like cars that they make more efficient - they will always want more. And also that EV adoption enables the US to continue ignoring public transportation.
Maybe the tariffs will kill US industry in a state of climate chaos where it can't recover, and this is the degrowth we've been asking for all along?