Musk Unbothered by Trump’s Lack of EV Support
Elon Musk is not worried about former president Donald Trump’s EV stance, believing it will benefit Tesla in the long run.
- During his Republican National Convention speech, Trump promised to overturn Biden’s EV support.
- No one truly believes that it will harm their businesses.
On Friday, Presidential candidate Donald Trump has shared that he will end President Biden’s electric vehicle (EV) support, disregarding its potential impact on the US green gas emissions.
On July 19th, Trump took the stage during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, formally accepting the Republican nomination for president and vaguely sharing the plans for his presidency.
A Thorn in the Back
During his almost two-hour-long speech (transcript), Trump shared his stance on climate change actions and EVs. The former President believes that the Biden administration wasted US taxpayers’ money in their effort to fix climate change, driving inflation and energy costs instead—two very sensitive topics for the public at the moment. He even referred to the administration’s energy and climate agenda as “Green New Scam.”
“We will redirect [the money not yet spent] for important projects like roads, bridges, dams,” Trump said. “And we will not allow it to be spent on the meaningless Green New scam ideas.”
Trump was especially critical of the EV sector, calling Biden’s EV-related policies a mandate, adding that he “will end the electric vehicle mandate on day one. Thereby saving the US auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now, and saving US customers thousands and thousands of dollars per car,” he shared.
As Calm as a Cucumber
Despite Trump’s apparent strong stance on the EV sector, major players seem unbothered. Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint, the US’s largest charging network, shared in an interview that the sales will still grow, even if Trump takes office for his second term.
Talking with Bloomberg on Friday, Wilmer asserted that the overall market won’t be impacted by whether the government contributes to EV adoption. He is also confident that people who made the switch to EVs won’t go back, citing its “driveability” and quietness.
While Wilmer is not worried about the effects on the market, Elon Musk, who endorses Trump, is unconcerned about the effects on Tesla.
According to a post-earnings conference call, Musk believes that the change would greatly hurt Tesla’s competitors. However, he guesses that the company will only be slightly impacted but in the long run, the change will only benefit it, claiming that Tesla is an AI company focusing on self-driving technology.
Meanwhile, the Planet Is Still on Fire
Let’s put profits aside for a second because they won’t be useful when the planet goes up in flames from climate change. Everyone seems concerned with a pocket, be it their own or others, but the real concern should be the climate.
The US has set ambitious goals to curb its contribution to climate change, including reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. According to the Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1990–2022, transportation accounts for the largest portion of total US GHG emissions in 2022 at 28%.
So, Trump’s retracting EV support could not only hinder those goals but also exacerbate emissions.
Final Thoughts
In his speech, Trump also declared that he would be increasing tariffs on EVs and their production because China is investing in them, specifically in Mexico. So, he’s looking out for the country’s automotive industry, which has been a prominent part of the US economy for decades, but also for the American people who love their so-called “gas guzzlers”, specifically trucks. An EV truck is not the most practical thing in the world. So, are his plans eco-friendly? No, but he’s a businessman doing what he does best, propping up the economy.
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