Tesla chief Elon Musk defends EV subsidies
Weed-smoking boss of US electric vehicle manufacturer says all cars get government subsidiesTesla CEO Elon Musk has hit out at critics of electric vehicle subsidies and incentives, arguing that every single petrol or diesel-powered vehicle on the road also receives a subsidy.
“All fossil fuel-powered things have an inherent subsidy which is their consumption of the carbon capacity of the atmosphere and oceans,” Musk stated in a recent interview with podcast star, comedian and martial artist Joe Rogan.
In the same interview Musk, who has been in the news in recent times for calling a British cave diver who rescued trapped school children in Thailand a ‘pedo’, smoked a joint with Rogan, sending Tesla’s share price plummeting.
This is an honest and fun conversation between @elonmusk and @joerogan. Stop at the headlines and memes and you’ll miss all the thoughtfulness, clarity, and curiosity. https://t.co/aYHbOwF4wk
— jack (@jack) September 9, 2018
“So people tend to think ‘why should electric vehicles have a subsidy?’ But they’re not taking into account that all fossil fuel-burning vehicles are fundamentally subsidised by the environmental cost to earth — but nobody is paying for it.”
The controversial Tesla CEO insists that “We’re all going to pay for it obviously in the future — it’s just not paid for now.”
Tesla currently sells the Model X SUV and Model S sedan in Australia, where the smaller Model 3 sedan is not due to launch until the second half of 2019, and each model has a battery-powered range of about 450km.
Moving 2 of 7 Tesla colors off menu on Wednesday to simplify manufacturing. Obsidian Black & Metallic Silver will still be available as special request, but at higher price.
— gorklon rust (@elonmusk) September 11, 2018
In Australia the vast majority of electricity is generated via coal power, which produces a lot of carbon emissions, but the Musk says that EV owners can sidestep this by generating their own energy with solar panels.
“We’ve got a giant thermonuclear reactor called the sun. It’s great, it shows up every day, it’s very reliable.”
Every mainstream car manufacturer is either working on or already has an electric vehicle in their line-up and demand for EVs is predicted to rise as governments continue to tighten emissions regulations.
Some car-makers, especially the luxury German marques, have declared that all their vehicles will have some form of electrification by 2025.
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