Tesla’s Elon Musk recently called out President Joe Biden for his apparent love affair with General Motors. Biden has spent much of his presidency labeling GM as a leader in the EV movement and portraying CEO Mary Barra as the unequivocal leader of the electrification transition, even though the automaker delivered just 26 EVs in Q4 2021.
During his recent lengthy interview with The Kilowatts’ Ryan Levenson, Tesla Owners Silicon Valley President John and VP Kelvin Gee, and My Tesla Adventure President Eli Burton, Musk talked about the President’s impartial love for GM and Mary Barra, despite the company’s recent sub-par track record in terms of electric vehicles.
Musk’s comments catalyzed from a discussion over the UAW and its connection to the White House and politics in general, which has been evident since Biden’s presidency started discussing electric vehicle policy more openly and frequently last year.
“They have so much power over the White House that they can exclude Tesla from an EV Summit. And, in case the first thing, in case that wasn’t enough, then you have President Biden with Mary Barra at a subsequent event, congratulating Mary for having led the EV revolution.” (Credit: YouTube | Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley
Biden seemed to refuse to acknowledge, or even mention, Tesla in any capacity, at least until February. While Tesla did not deliver the first electric vehicle to ever grace roadways in the United States, it has delivered more of them than any other manufacturer. The company has singlehandedly disrupted the entire automotive industry and influenced large automakers to adopt significant EV strategies, funneling billions into electric vehicle development.
Musk acknowledged Tesla’s influence in the sector but also openly stated that Biden and the White House are controlled by the UAW so much that it was able to exclude Tesla from an EV Summit held in Washington. Later, Biden would end up recognizing GM CEO Mary Barra as the leader of electrification. Musk said:
“They have so much power over the White House that they can exclude Tesla from an EV Summit. And, in case the first thing, in case that wasn’t enough, then you have President Biden with Mary Barra at a subsequent event, congratulating Mary for having led the EV revolution.”
John joked about GM’s 26 EV deliveries in Q4 2021, to which Musk replied, “Exactly.”
“I believe it was in the same quarter that GM delivered 26 electric vehicles and Tesla delivered 300,000,” Musk continued.
Musk’s points are incredibly valid, not only because the White House has devoted a specific loyalty to UAW-run plants (even offering additional funds to a revised version of the EV tax credit if the vehicle was built at a union facility), but because Tesla has routinely outperformed GM in EVs. GM’s 26 deliveries last quarter were due to a recall of Bolt EV and EUV units that dealt with battery issues, and the GMC Hummer EV had not yet reached regular production.
Nevertheless, General Motors has lofty plans for EVs, and has set aside $35 billion for projects related to its electrification transition. However, it has simply not reached the levels that Tesla has, and it is not right that the company is being pushed to the wayside when, without its existence, EV projects would likely be as advanced as they were in 2010.
Check out that portion of the interview below, and be sure to watch Part 1 as well!
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