Biden Mentions Tesla for the First Time After Musk's Complaint

U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned Tesla for the first time, despite not referencing the company when discussing electric vehicles since taking office, following a complaint from its chairman, Elon Musk, about being overlooked. The White House had previously indicated a preference for traditional car manufacturers that employ union workers, while Musk's opposing stance to this approach is well-known. Musk had tweeted in a series of statements targeting Biden: "For unknown reasons, the American president is unable to mention the word Tesla." However, Biden finally named the company while announcing the establishment of an electric vehicle charging station factory in Tennessee. In discussing companies that have invested in building factories in the U.S. in recent months, Biden first mentioned "legacy companies" like GM and Ford and their production of new electric vehicles, but then cited Tesla, saying it is "the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in our country." Musk responded to a tweet featuring this comment with a smiling face emoji wearing sunglasses.