Monday, November 08, 2021

Joe Biden’s Electric Vehicle Summit Excludes Tesla

From Daily Wire.com (Aug. 8):

President Joe Biden did not invite Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a summit about electric vehicles, and it may have been because the firm does not have unionized workers.

Executives from General Motors, Ford, and other firms joined Biden at the White House on Thursday as he unveiled a reversal of “the previous administration’s short-sighted rollback of vehicle emissions and efficiency standards.” News outlets — and Musk himself — were apparently surprised that Tesla, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, was not asked to be involved.

“Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited,” Musk commented via Twitter early Thursday morning.

During her Thursday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked why Tesla was apparently snubbed. She heavily implied that Tesla’s lack of unionization was the primary factor behind the administration’s decision.

“Well, we, of course, welcome the efforts of all automakers who recognize the potential of an electric vehicle future and support efforts that will help reach the president’s goal. And certainly, Tesla is one of those companies,” said Psaki as recorded by Fox News. “Today, it’s the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers, and the UAW president who will stand with President Biden as he announces his ambitious new target, but I would not expect this is the last time we talk about clean cars, the move toward electric vehicles, and we look forward to having a range of partners in that effort.” [read more]

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