SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk’s electric car company is endorsing a California climate policy that his political ally Donald Trump has promised to dismantle if reelected.
Tesla has joined other electric vehicle and charging station manufacturers in urging California lawmakers to support the state’s low-carbon fuel standard, which boosts electric vehicles by setting an emissions limit on all transportation fuels sold in the state.
“This program has achieved significant economic and environmental benefits for Californians, and we strongly support its continued advancement to drive even greater progress,” Tesla, Hyundai, GM, Audi, Rivian and others wrote to California lawmakers Thursday. The letter was obtained exclusively by POLITICO on Wednesday.
That Musk’s company would endorse a key plank in California’s fight against climate change underscores the tension between his political and business interests. Trump has moderated his attacks against electric vehicles since Musk became a campaign surrogate, but he is still pledging to overturn California’s suite of nation-leading rules to boost electric vehicles.
