Biden Administration Finally Incorporates Largest US EV Manufacturer in Policy

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The White House announced on Friday that federal subsidies would be available for charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) that use standard plugs that are compatible with Elon Musk’s Tesla models. However, they must also include the U.S. standard charging connection called CCS (Combined Charging System). Ford and General Motors recently adopted Tesla’s charging system, which will make Tesla Superchargers an industry standard.

The Biden administration has stated that it wants to ensure that all public-funded chargers, including Tesla Superchargers, are available to all EVs. It is not clear whether Tesla’s CCS adapter will satisfy the federal requirements. Tesla has been using CCS connectors and Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has hinted that Tesla chargers may only require CCS adapters in order to meet federal standards.

Musk tweeted on Friday that it would be ideal if Tesla chargers only needed CCS adapters in order to meet federal standards.

This has caused concern for charging startups that are struggling. Stocks of EV charger companies such as ChargePoint, EVgo, and Blink Charging have experienced steep declines while Tesla’s share price has soared.

Musk and Mary Barra hosted a Twitter Spaces conversation on Thursday. Musk retweeted a GM article about the partnership between Tesla and GM, with a caption.

It was a pleasure to work with your team!

The relationship between Musk and the White House hasn’t always been so warm.

A notable absence was noticed at the August 2021 EV Summit hosted by President Joe Biden. Tesla, a company known for its battery-powered EVs and its focus on them, was not present at the summit. The exclusion of Tesla was a surprise, given its significant contribution to the electric vehicle industry, and the fact that it has extensive manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S.

Musk Tweeted:

It’s odd that Tesla was not invited.

Musk had no patience with the Biden administration when it came to America’s biggest EV manufacturer in early 2022.

The President tweeted a masked video with the caption:

When I said that the future would be made in America, I really meant it. GM and Ford have built more electric cars here in the United States than ever before.

Musk responded:

Starting with a T

End with an A

ESL is in the Middle

Musk responded to the exclusion of Tesla from the President’s remarks on the EV Industry by tweeting that Biden was a “damp sock-puppet in human form.”

Tesla owners and fans started a petition shortly after that attracted nearly 60,000 signatures, urging Biden to stop ignoring Tesla’s leadership in the industry. A second widely circulated petition criticized the exclusion by the Inflation Reduction Act of Tesla’s tax incentive structure.

Biden will finally pronounce the name Tesla in early February 2022 after one year as president, recognizing the company’s leadership.

Musk later said:

It isn’t quite accurate to say that there is a rivalry. Biden has ignored Tesla in every way and lied to the public by claiming that GM is the leader of the electric vehicle industry. In fact, Tesla produced more than 300,000 vehicles and GM only produced 26.

Musk said that if invited to speak at the White House, he would not be embarrassed or cause for concern.

There is nothing to be worried about. I would do what is right.

Musk was again snubbed in March 2022 at the State of the Union Address.

Musk wrote:

Tesla has created more than 50,000 US jobs in the electric vehicle industry and is investing more money than GM + Ford together.

This tweet is for the person who controls it.

Recent developments have highlighted the landscape of EVs, with Tesla’s market share and influence becoming more prominent, not just in terms of EV market shares, but also in terms of federal policy.

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