Tesla doesn’t get any more government subsidies. Musk was recently interviewed, and said that (partially gov’t-owned) GM asked for it and got it for the entire industry, but that Tesla doesn’t get it now.
As for SpaceX, if the gov’t puts things on his rocket ships, they have to pay, just like anyone else. I would hardly call that “government support.”
I agree that big companies do not need government funding (or laws/regulations that crowd out their competitors), and Musk’s companies have definitely benefitted in the past. However, as of recently Musk is sounding much more libertarian (small “l”), stating that the gov’t should be a referee in the marketplace and not a participant, and also stating that the best thing would be to not have the “Build Back Better” legislation - even if it happened to benefit his companies. He specifically was asked about subsidies to build charging stations, and said that it wasn’t needed - “does anyone subsidize your local gas station?” If there’s profit to be made in EVs, he said, then there’ll be profit in providing a place to refuel them.
No, he’s not perfect WRT government involvement...but he’s getting a lot better with time, and is certainly far better than at least 90% of his fellow CEOs (and probably all of those running companies in the Fortune 100).
Musk is sounding better, but the fact is that this global warming farce is letting the socialists decide who the winners and losers are.
Tesla’s Struggle In China Is A Warning To All Western Companies Addicted to the Size and the Potential of the Chinese Market.
The Federalist 07/08/2021 | Helen Raleigh
https://thefederalist.com/2021/07/09/teslas-struggle-in-china-is-a-warning-to-all-western-companies/
Never Make a Deal with the Devil
Not so long ago, the CCP rolled out a red carpet for Musk. To entice Tesla to China, the Chinese government agreed to let Tesla become the first non-Chinese auto company with a solely owned subsidiary in China.
In contrast, all other foreign carmakers, including Ford and GM, had to take on local Chinese partners and establish joint ventures to do the same. Tesla opened its factory in Shanghai in 2018. The Chinese government further sweetened the pot by offering tax breaks and cheap loans, and making Tesla cars eligible for generous made-in-China subsidies.
During last year’s COVID-19 outbreak, while most parts of China were under government-mandated lockdowns, the Chinese government allowed Tesla China to quickly reopen in February and provided the factory generous support.