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The former president’s comments about electric cars have replaced his friendship with Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO.
By Lisa Friedman
Former President Donald J. Trump spent years ridiculing electric vehicles, saying they don’t go very far, are too expensive and are made in China. He promised to end the federal program for electric vehicles, a central component of President Biden’s strategy to reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide.
But in recent months, Trump has said great things about electric vehicles. While he continues to cast some shade on EVs, he also tells the crowd that he likes them.
On Saturday, he went further, saying at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, “I talk about electric cars all the time, but I don’t need to say I’m opposed to them. I am totally in favor of them. Moments later,” he said, “I’ve driven them and they’re amazing, but they’re not for everyone. “
The sophisticated softening began after Trump met with Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, in Palm Beach, Florida, in March. The two men have engaged in common discussions on a variety of topics, including conversations about electric vehicles, as Mr. Musk did last month at a shareholder meeting. “He called me out of the blue,” Musk said. “I don’t know why, but he knows. “
As spring gave way to summer, Trump shifted his attacks from the reliability and price of electric cars to federal incentives for consumers to buy electric cars and to environmental regulations designed to incentivize automakers to increase production. He said anyone who needs to buy an electric vehicle will be able to do so, but the government will not shape the automotive market.
When asked at Tesla’s June shareholder meeting about Trump’s obvious shift, Musk responded, “I can be persuasive,” in an audio recording.
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