- The White House is holding a summit on Thursday, focusing on the future of
electric cars . Tesla CEOElon Musk said on Twitter that the electric carmaker was not invited to the event.- Teslas account for most US electric car sales, and were recently dubbed the "most American-made."
The White House is holding a summit on the future of electric vehicles, but appears to have excluded the nation's top-selling electric car company.
On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that his company - which has been responsible for about 74% of electric car sales in the US over the past three years - was not invited to the event.
-Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2021
A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from Insider. Reuters reporter David Shepardson said on Twitter that he asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki whether Tesla was being excluded from the event because its employees were not part of an automotive union.
"I'll let you draw your own conclusion," Psaki said.
Musk has publicly discouraged union efforts at Tesla in the past. In March, the National Labor Relations Board called for the CEO to delete a tweet that was seen as threatening to labor organizers within the company.
The White House event will focus on the future of electric cars and fuel economy standards. It will feature President Joe Biden, as well as chief executives from
The automakers have begun to cut into Tesla's share of the US market, but still only represent a small portion of electric car sales in the country. While GM and Ford are still developing EV manufacturing plants and learning how to make their electric car brands attractive to customers, Tesla has managed to become one of the most profitable car companies in the world from selling electric
Increasing the US network of charging stations is a top priority in Biden's infrastructure bill, which sets aside billions of dollars for EV charging. But Ford and GM are still working to catch up to Tesla when it comes to charging infrastructure - of which Tesla charging stations account for a large portion. As of February, there were just under 100,000 electric-car charging stations in the US, said a report from I. Wagner, a researcher on traffic and motor-vehicle manufacturing. To date, Tesla supercharging stations alone account for over 25,000 stations, data from the company's website indicated.
At the event, Biden is expected to emphasize the importance of keeping the EVs American-made - something at which Tesla has excelled. In June, Tesla beat out Ford to become the most American-made car based on a Cars.com index. Tesla's Model 3 took the top spot based on its final assembly location, the origin of its parts, engine, and transmission, as well as its manufacturing workforce.
The White House event was announced on Wednesday. Biden is expected to deliver his remarks at 3 pm ET on Thursday from the White House steps. On Thursday morning, Biden said he will sign an executive order setting a target to make 50% of all new cars sold in 2030 zero-emission vehicles.
"The future of the auto industry is electric - and made in America," he tweeted.
The White House said Biden will also propose new emissions standard to cut down on pollution through 2026. The goal is not legally binding, but several major automakers have publicly expressed their support for the president's stance.
Ford, GM, and Stellantis said in a joint letter they are working to make 40% to 50% of US new car sales electric vehicles by 2030.