Tesla is now begging the UK government to make cars with combustion engines much more expensive than they are today.
Tesla, the American electric car manufacturer, is now putting pressure on England to make cars with combustion engines more expensive. In a letter to the British transport minister, Tesla calls for raising the prices of petrol and diesel cars to speed up the transition to electric cars.
The background to Tesla's lobbying is the British government's decision to reintroduce the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. However, Tesla does not believe that this is enough to ensure a rapid transition to electric cars.
In the letter, which the British media outlet Auto Express has gained insight into, Tesla's vice president in Europe, Joe Ward, argues that consumers who buy a new car with a combustion engine should pay more.
He also calls on the government to raise the mandatory minimum limit on the number of electric cars that manufacturers must sell.
Tesla is one of the leading manufacturers of electric cars in the world, and their Model Y is the best-selling electric car in both Denmark and England.
This is not the first time Tesla has intervened in the political debate about electric cars. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has previously criticized the UK for the low prices of petrol and diesel cars.
Tesla's lobbying in the UK is an example of how companies are trying to influence the political agenda to advance their own interests. Whether Tesla's pressure will lead to higher prices for combustion engine cars in the UK remains to be seen.
