The meeting discussed US funding to create a national network of 500,000 EV chargers.
The Joe Biden administration held a meeting with major automotive leaders to discuss electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The meeting was attended by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and CEO Mary Barra of General Motors. There was broad consensus during the meeting that charging stations and vehicles need to be compatible with each other and provide a seamless user experience, no matter what you drive.
Notably, Musk is often at odds with the White House and regularly sends harsh tweets aimed at President Biden. However, in February, Biden finally publicly acknowledged Tesla’s role in the US electric vehicle industry, after Musk repeatedly complained about being ignored.
Other automotive leaders who attended the meeting included Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson and Nissan Americas chair Jeremie Papin. The meeting discussed US funding to create a national network of 500,000 EV chargers.
(Also read | US to tighten fuel economy requirements for new cars to 40 mpg by 2026)
Executives from Hyundai Motor America, Subaru of America, Mazda North America, Toyota North American Motor Mercedes-Benz United States and That Motors America also joined the meeting on the future of electric mobility in the country.
Last week, the US tightened fuel economy requirements, reversing the trend in the Trump era. Automakers have backed new tougher vehicle emissions regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a court challenge brought by several states and ethanol producing groups. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents nearly all major automakers, said the EPA’s rule “will challenge the industry” but it wants to ensure “critical regulatory provisions support Electric vehicle technology support is maintained.”
(with input from Reuters)
Date of first publication: April 7, 2022, 09:52 AM IST
