Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with several Biden administration officials earlier this week to discuss a wide array of topics. This comes amid growing uncertainty with regard to the new $7,500 FTC rules. As it stands, Tesla will benefit enormously from the new tax credit regulations.
Elon Musk has hinted he is not a fan of Biden on several occasions, meanwhile the President has repeatedly failed to acknowledge Tesla and Musk when discussing EVs. Biden even credited GM CEO Mary Barra with “electrifying the entire auto industry” – an absurd statement, given the amount of EVs GM sells versus Tesla. Biden also failed to invite Tesla to his Electrification Summit.
A lot of the beef realistically boils down to the fact that Biden is clearly a big fan of unions, while Musk of course is not. After all, the Biden administration tried (yet failed) to pass an additional $4,500 credit for EVs built in unionized factories.
However, Biden has since admitted Tesla is America’s largest EV automaker. And the fact that the Biden administration is inviting Musk for talks is a positive sign. Tesla has a larger influence on the EV space than any other manufacturer and is one of America’s most valuable companies. Hence it’s only right the White House gives Tesla the acknowledgment it deserves.
Although the exact nature of Musk’s meeting remains under wraps, a White House Spokesperson stated the general premise was “shared goals around electrification.” It’s believed Musk did not meet with Biden himself, but instead with two top officials from his administration.
