Getty ImagesElon Musk’s electric car firm Tesla has pressed the government to pay petrol car drivers “more” after Labor won the general election.
Musk, the Tesla chief executive, has openly waded into British politics on social media, predicting “civil war” and criticizing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
But behind the scenes his firm was trying to convince the new government to extend the policy which would increase his firm’s profits.
The company called for a mandate to extend sales of electric cars to lorries, and said electric vehicle (EV) subsidies could come from charging people who buy petrol and diesel cars.
Tesla’s European boss, Joe Ward, wrote in a letter to the roads minister, Lillian Greenwood, in July: “The government is asking people who still choose to buy a new polluting car to pay more. Say it.”
The letter was released under a Freedom of Information request. EV Newsletter Fast Chargeshows that Tesla appreciated the strong position of the Labor Party. [on] Decarbonisation of the Energy System, Development and Net Zero by 2030”.
The praise came just weeks after Musk criticized the UK government online over the summer riots.
The BBC reported in September that Musk was not invited to a government investment summit because of tensions over his political interventions.
The billionaire has since become the indispensable right-hand man for incoming US President Donald Trump. Since the election there, the rising value of his shares in Tesla has increased Musk’s wealth incredibly.
The UK government is currently consulting on changes to a key initiative aimed at encouraging the sale of electric cars, the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
The ZEV mandate requires automakers to sell a certain number of EVs each year, and if they can’t meet their targets, they have to buy credits from other EV makers that have produced less polluting vehicles. are sold
UK carmakers are pushing to weaken the policy, arguing that consumers are not yet buying enough EVs.
Tesla’s letter lobbied for the opposite policy, saying the ZEV mandate “should be preserved and strengthened”.
Tesla is a big beneficiary of the ZEV mandate because it can sell additional credits from its imports of EVs made in China.
Tesla also lobbied the new government for the UK to lead the “autonomous vehicle at scale” and demonstrated the companies vision.