Elon Musk responds to Tesla snub

Elon Musk has responded after proposals from Tesla for electric truck infrastructure were rejected by the federal government.

The tech CEO’s flagship electric vehicle company proposed a corridor of chargers for electric trucks between California and Texas, but the concept was passed over by the Department of Transportation for a third time last Friday.

Newsweek contacted Tesla for comment on this story via email.

Why It Matters

Musk is a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump, and will play a major role in the incoming administration as co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). As a result, his critics are concerned that he could use both his position and influence over Trump to expand his interests in the U.S. motor industry.

What To Know

Tesla’s TESSERACT project aims to build a network of electric truck charging stations between California and Texas via Arizona, so that trucking journeys between the two states are more environmentally sustainable.

The route would stretch from Fremont, California, all the way to Laredo, Texas, passing through Phoenix and San Simon in Arizona. Tesla said that the cost of constructing the project would be $100 million.

However, despite pitching it to the Department of Transport several times, the project was brushed over in the latest grants of funding issued by the Biden administration, which entered its final week today.

The Department of Transportation announced $636 million of federal funding for electric vehicle infrastructure that did not include TESSERACT on Friday.

What People Are Saying

In a statement on the new funding for electric vehicle infrastructure, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation said: “The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program is a competitive grant program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work—urban and rural areas alike—in addition to along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors.

“CFI Program investments will make modern and sustainable infrastructure accessible to all drivers of electric, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas vehicles.”

Reacting to the announcement on X, Elon Musk wrote: “Hear we go again (sigh),” reinforcing his disappointment with the Biden administration’s approach to Tesla and other spending decisions.

What Happens Next

Elon Musk is set to take a key role in the White House as part of Donald Trump’s incoming administration. Musk will become co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency on January 20, giving him substantial control over federal regulation.

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