Between Tesla & Biden - Division Develops!

Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Left) Joe Biden (Right) (Creative Commons License).

Tesla is a company most governments would kill to have within their borders, with its status as the biggest EV maker worldwide. With the expansion of its facilities, the Texas-based company is set to ship more than a million electric cars this year. It is therefore surprising that the government of Tesla's host country, the US, has failed to acknowledge the existence and pole position of the company.

Why is Joe Biden giving Tesla the cold shoulder while courting other EV makers? We seek to answer this question and more in this article.

Is Joe Ignoring Tesla?

Tesla is too massive a company to ignore, but Biden has been doing a great job overlooking the EV maker. The company has been conspicuously missing in the discussion about zero-emission mobility on multiple occasions.

For example, the president has consistently avoided mentioning Tesla by name when talking about electric vehicles, which form a major part of his build-back better economic policy. In speeches after speeches, there had been not a single mention!

The exclusion became undisguisable last year when Joe Biden invited EV makers to the White House to discuss the industry's future. Companies like GM and Ford received invites while Tesla was ignored.

Two electric vehicles parked in front of the White House. Source: Susan Walsh - Associated Press (Creative Commons License).

After the White House debacle, Tesla fans embarked on a campaign to make President Joe Biden acknowledge Tesla, even going as far as taking out outdoor adverts and canvassing on social media. However, the presidency continued to ignore the biggest EV maker.

Why is Biden Not a Fan of Tesla?

The problem Biden has with Tesla appears to be unions. Musk is fiercely anti-union and has ensured his company workers do not unionize. Biden prefers unionized workforces, and notably, all the EV makers invited to the White House last year allow unions. 

At the event, press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if Tesla was excluded for not having unions, and she replied she would allow the press to draw their own conclusions, stopping short of saying yes.

At the event, press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if Tesla was excluded for not having unions, and she replied she would allow the press to draw their own conclusions, stopping short of saying yes.

Biden has also praised GM for its efforts with EVs, despite selling far fewer units and being embroiled in an embarrassing recall.

Even the federal incentives that the administration wants to restore have a clause that puts non-unionized EV makers like Tesla at a disadvantage.

However, Biden has finally given Tesla a nod as a sign of changing times or simply that Tesla was getting too large to ignore. During a speech to promote American companies expanding the country's EV infrastructure, Biden said, 

"Since 2021, companies have announced investments totaling more than $200 billion in domestic manufacturing here in America. From iconic companies like GM and Ford building out new electric vehicle production to Tesla, our nation's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, to innovative younger companies like Rivian building electric trucks or Proterra, building electric buses."