The Biden administration is again meeting with auto executives to discuss how to ensure widespread use of electric vehicles. But this time, it includes Elon Musk, who runs the world’s most successful electric car brand.
After being criticized for shunning the Tesla CEO at previous meetings, senior officials hosted an event Wednesday where he and other industry leaders could contribute to how the U.S. should run the nation’s charging infrastructure and increase adoption. Despite Musk’s frequent dissent on President Biden’s strategy, the White House said the meeting was productive and resulted in a “broad consensus that charging stations and vehicles should be interoperable and should provide seamless user experience.” The car you drive or the place to charge your EV.
It seems self-evident that the entire industry has been talking about standardizing charging stations for years. Tesla is even trying to corner the market by creating a nationwide network of proprietary chargers before legal competition emerges. However, the White House has not indicated a similar consensus on how best to handle future EV subsidies.
While Musk’s opposition to updating the tax credit program is often seen as a direct result of additional incentives associated with union jobs. The CEO actually opposes reviving the Obama-era electric vehicle purchase subsidy program, even those that would benefit disproportionately after Tesla has exhausted its own quota. Musk said that if electric vehicles are to be taken seriously, they will ultimately have to fend for themselves, adding that perpetual government support is irresponsible and ultimately stifles innovation. He wants existing quotas to function properly to ensure a level playing field for all automakers.
Leaders at other companies were less opposed to the idea of a Biden administration. While some mainstream automakers, such as Toyota, have delayed, this is usually due to policies that tie additional funding to unionized worker groups that formally support Biden as a presidential candidate. But few suggested forgoing additional government investment.
Reuters Note that Congress previously approved $7.5 billion in government funding for electric vehicle charging stations in 2021 to advance this effort. But he added that legislation for new tax incentives for buying and building electric vehicles had stalled, suggesting some of these proposals may need to be revised or repealed entirely if they have a chance of being adopted.
since Reuters:
Automotive executives including Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley, Chrysler CEO Stellantis Carlos Tavares, Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson and Nissan Americas President Jeremie Papin attended Wednesday’s meeting to discuss U.S. offerings for “building a national network of 500,000 chargers.” funds. . “
Also in attendance were Transportation Minister Pete Buttigieg, Energy Minister Jennifer Granholm, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu.
Executives from Hyundai Motor America, Subaru of America, Mazda North America, Toyota Motor North America, Mercedes-Benz America and Kia Motors America also participated.
GM CEO Mary Barra was also on hand, whether she interacted with Musk after Joe Biden falsely claimed she was in charge of “electrifying cars for the entire industry” and that Tesla had the lion’s share of the EV market is questionable.
There are also rumors that the Environmental Protection Agency has recently decided to introduce stricter vehicle emissions regulations. The decision sparked legal challenges from several states and ethanol groups, and automakers began defending the EPA. The Automotive Innovation Alliance, which represents nearly every major automaker, said the updated rules would “challenge the industry” but ultimately be more important than “maintaining the fundamental regulations that support EV technology.”
Meanwhile, Corn Growers, a subsidiary of Valero Energy, and a number of ethanol makers reportedly said new EPA rules set tougher emissions requirements by 2026, “effectively mandating the production and sale of electric vehicles rather than combustion engines. Car”.
[Image: Orhan Cam/Shutterstock]
Become a TTAC insider.Be the first to get the latest TTAC news, features, shots and all the truth about cars Subscribe to our communication.