Elon Musk, the CEO of electric vehicle company Tesla, defended the oil and gas industry during an interview with former President Donald Trump on his social media platform X.that during the much-anticipated livestream, Musk and Trump covered a wide range of topics, including immigration, inflation, and foreign policy.
Musk also suggested that the transition to a sustainable energy economy could take “50 or 100 years,” a timeline that seems to contradict the scientific community’s warnings about the urgency of addressing alleged climate change. “So it’s not like the house is on fire immediately,” Musk said, acknowledging that the continued use of fossil fuels would make the air harder to breathe, causing “headaches and nausea.” Despite this, he maintained that there was no need to rush the transition away from fossil fuels, stating, “We still have quite a bit of time. We don’t need to rush.”
The discussion on EVs remained brief, despite Trump’s previous promises to end subsidies for plug-in cars, which could significantly impact Tesla’s sales. Instead, Trump suggested that Musk should put solar panels on the roof of his cars, referencing a patent filed by Tesla for a solar panel-covered cover for the Cybertruck, which has not been implemented.