Buttigieg Calls Biden Administration's 2021 EV Summit Snub of Elon Musk a Mistake

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on “The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett” that the decision to exclude Elon Musk from the 2021 electric-vehicle summit was a mistake by the Biden administration. Buttigieg explained the summit was intended to celebrate an agreement on tailpipe-emissions standards, and because Tesla’s vehicles have no tailpipes, organizers did not think to invite the company.

He added that Musk is arguably the most responsible individual for EV progress in the United States and expressed no blame for Musk’s reaction. Host Steven Bartlett expressed skepticism, noting Musk’s public break from the Democratic Party, his purchase of Twitter and his status as a major donor to Donald Trump. The event, convened by President Joe Biden, included representatives from Ford, General Motors and the United Auto Workers, which may have influenced Tesla’s omission. A former White House press secretary had earlier said Tesla was welcome but avoided commenting on the union issue.