President-elect Donald J. Trump wants Congress to repeal a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit. Doing so would hurt American automakers.

To be sure, the EV tax credit won’t disappear tomorrow. Trump doesn’t assume office until January. And he can’t do this alone; he’d need Congress to delete the credit as part of a wider tax bill. Those negotiations could stretch out for months.

At this point, many buyers are taking advantage of the credits at dealerships when they buy a car. In the past, they had to wait to claim it on their taxes the following year. Now, there’s the option of transferring their credit to the dealer and getting an instant rebate.