Trump and Musk’s split reflects a divided nation on clean energy

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump – two of the most powerful and frank billionaires in America – are still tangled in a disorderly rupture on a variety of problems. It is not a shock that these two men with huge Egos would have a friction, but it is interesting to look at some of the specific things that seem to cause problems between them.

In particular, the different views of Trump and Musk on climate change and clean energy have obviously Give back irritating. Recall that Musk, CEO of the Tesla electric car company, Participate in the advice of the White House During Trump’s first term, but left after Trump began the process of withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement.

But Musk began to derive to the political right. He publicly supported Trump’s campaign for a second term – on stage and with money – and was rewarded by a high -level almost governmental position as head of the new government ministry of the government who dismissed thousands of federal workers. It seemed to reach their mutual objectives. Trump even transformed the White House into a Sales field for Tesla And has he himself.

But after Musque left Doge Recently, he came out against the budget bill adopted by the Republicans of the Chamber And supported by Trump, leading another corner between them. The invoice returns tax credits for electric vehicles and strikes the owners with a COST OF $ 250 To pay the Highway Trust Fund, which pays road maintenance thanks to gas taxes. Although Musk has an electric vehicle company, he says He does not care about the return of EV tax credits back And is more concerned with how the budget bill increases the deficit. The Congressional Budget Office said that the bill would add 2.4 billions of dollars in the deficit Over 10 years.

However, Tesla did about a third of its profits Over the past decade Sell ​​compliance credits to other car manufacturers of states that have adopted the rules of California vehicle emissions as well as in several other countries. The Trump administration is also Target programs This created this line of activity through decrees.

The back and forth over the years between Trump and Musk has reflected in the perceptions of Tesla’s products. Elegant electric cars once rolled up display panels by projecting that their owners were concerned about climate change and are now attacked as Fascism approvals.

More broadly, this shows that there are obstinate political divisions on how people see clean technology – electric vehicles, renewable energies, storage of batteries, etc.

A survey this week from the Pew Research Center have shown that Republicans have less and less favorable views of clean technology. The exception is nuclear energy, which has experienced growing support among Democrats and Republicans.

But from a setback, republicans tend to strongly support the extraction of fossil fuels from offshore oil drilling, hydraulic fracturing and the exploitation of coal – much more than democrats.

Meanwhile, electric vehicles are take on the road in greater numbersAlthough a partisan fracture emerges here as well. Many more democrats than the Republicans say they are interested in buying an EV as the next car, although Democrats seem less favorably on Tesla electric vehicles. Tesla sales have broken down in the United States While global sales of electric vehicles are increasing. Hybrid cars are more popular across the country than pure electric vehicles, according to the survey.

California and 11 other states now plan to end the sales of new cars powered by essence by 2035. Two -thirds of the Americans say that they are against this idea, but here too, there is a political gap, with 85% of Republicans and 45% of Democrats in opposition.

Looking back in the past five years, it is obvious that even when Trump and Musk were aligned, they could not change the political valence of electric cars.

Now, at least another republican has embittered on electric vehicles: Trump would be looking for a buyer for his Tesla S red model After his musk dust.

It will take more than a boost of the White House or the enthusiastic support of a billionaire to change the spirit of the Republicans on technologies that help limit climate change. However, there are aberrant values, such as the Iowa Trump supporters who also support wind energy.

But the momentum behind these tools is massive and rising. Wind, solar, electric vehicles and grid batteries have all seen Formidable price reductions, huge performance gains and an increased deployment in recent years. Trump administration policies could undermine part of this momentum, but They can’t stop it.