IThey probably don’t know the French expression “marriage of the carp and the rabbit”. However, this is the score that Donald Trump, freshly elected like 47, is playing.e President of the United States, and Elon Musk, champion of the electric car…, whom the first openly hates. But that the second intends to defend without directly attacking the convictions of the ex-real estate tycoon, close to his fairly down-to-earth voters who only swear by the internal combustion engine. Rather than run afoul of Trump's bulldozing temperament, Musk deftly sidestepped the problem by becoming one of his staunchest supporters and arguably the most generous contributor to campaign accounts.
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It cost a lot of money, close to $120 million, according to the latest estimates, but it is better than the bankruptcy of Tesla losing its support in its own territory. This would have been a very hard blow for the credibility and sustainability of the electric solution. How can one justify the purchase of a Tesla electric car for export if it is not a prophet in its country? Better yet, Donald Trump, known for his lack of commitment to the environmental cause, could put a stop to the progression of electric car sales. In the United States, the share of sales under the Biden mandate jumped from 1% in 2019 to 8% this year.
Elon Musk clearly sensed the danger at the precise moment when reluctance towards electric conversion is appearing almost everywhere on the planet among those who pay, the consumers. By proceeding as with SpaceX to dethrone NASA and capture federal capital, Elon Musk reused a winning martingale.
Dollars to become friends
His worst enemy turned into his most unconditional support after a few million dollars fell into Donald Trump's campaign fund. As a result, his prophecy delivered at a radical party convention – “I will end the mandate for electric vehicles on day one, and thereby save the American auto industry from annihilation” – is floundering.
Without blushing for a second since bringing Elon Musk onto his team, he told Reuters: “I'm for electric cars, I have to be because Elon has strongly supported me. » Such candor disarms any criticism of a president who pretends not to notice the conflict of interests. He even goes further by promising Elon Musk to lead a “government efficiency committee” to be created.
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Kangaroo of the day
Answer
The challenge for the South African businessman is to guide decisions to the best of his multiple interests, including, obviously, Tesla. Electric cars in the United States should retain their tax credit, although it is clearly threatened by Trump. Besides this, the new holder of the White House points to imports which could be taxed at 60% for Chinese and 10% for others, in particular German cars, the bête noire of Donald Trump.
For Elon Musk, the affair is on the right track, Donald Trump declared about him “He's great, we campaigned together”, reports Le Figaro. And to continue: “He’s a character, he’s special, he’s a genius, we have to protect our geniuses, we don’t have that many, I thank him. » Tesla stock jumped 15% after Trump's victory.
