“Tesla’s destiny depends on Elon Musk’s relationship with the Trump administration”

LSelf-driving cars don't vote yet, but they can influence an election. Elon Musk's enthusiasm for Donald Trump owes much to his business interests and the advantage he will gain from his favorite's victory. In any case, this is the immediate reading that investors made by propelling the action of his company Tesla by almost 50% in one week, despite the reluctance of the future president on the subject of the electric car. Because the destiny of the manufacturer is largely played out in its relations with the administration.

Overtaken in the global electric car market by the Chinese BYD, Elon Musk is seeking to regain control of the next stage of transport, autonomous driving. On October 10, it presented the heart of its new growth strategy, autonomous taxis. Its Cybercab with very futuristic lines has neither steering wheel nor pedals. He also promised a minibus of the same type, the Robovan.

The driverless vehicle is no longer science fiction, even if its application to passenger cars will take longer than expected. It is, however, already a reality in the industry. In the mining sector, for example, more than 2,000 giant trucks operate without drivers in mines in Australia, Canada and China. The next stage will be that of public transport, with buses, whose routes are known and speeds limited. Then will come the taxis, like the one presented by Mr. Musk.

Administrative straightjacket

The problem is that he starts the race with a serious handicap. The first authorized tests will only take place in 2025 while its competitors Waymo from Google, Cruise from General Motors, or Zoox from Amazon, are already accumulating kilometers in several cities across the country. The powerful federal road safety agency slowly authorizes experiments and even production volumes of this type of vehicle by manufacturers. In addition, the more economical technology it uses, devoid of radar, questions specialists and therefore the authorities.

This is where politics and the possible and expected appointment of Elon Musk as head of administrative efficiency come into play. The Anglo-Saxon media are speculating about the men that the billionaire could place in the administration to clean up civil servants, as Donald Trump promised. There is no doubt that relaxing the administrative shackles which limit experiments in transport will be at the top of his concerns. This will be a good test of the ability of American counter-powers to resist the Trumpian wave and its conflicts of interest.