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In a surprising turn of events, former US President Donald Trump's recent "EV-bashing" speech at the Republican National Convention has left Tesla CEO Elon Musk feeling betrayed. Earlier this year, Musk reportedly pledged a staggering $180 million, the largest financial commitment of the presidential race, to Trump's campaign in hopes of influencing the president's stance on electric vehicles (EVs). However, Trump's speech has raised concerns about the future of EVs under his administration.

Republican strategist and CEO of the EV Politics Project, Michael Murphy, voiced his disappointment, stating, "Elon's out funding Super PACs and telling donors to give money to Trump, and so I think Trump, in his kind of calculating manner, is like, 'Well, I better lay off EV stuff.' But then the speech came, and one of his wide-eyed assistants stabbed in the prompter, so he gleefully went off on a big EV bash."

During his convention speech, Trump vowed to reverse the "green new scam," specifically targeting the "electric-vehicle mandate" on his first day in office. While the exact nature of this mandate remains unclear, experts speculate it could refer to the Biden administration's subsidies for EVs. Murphy, an expert on EVs, pointed out that these subsidies have led to significant growth in manufacturing jobs, surpassing what was achieved under Trump.

However, Murphy criticized Trump's understanding of the issues, stating, "Trump doesn't have the policy heft to understand the issues; he just does applause lines that are based on complete ignorance." He disagreed with Trump's view that EVs are a "government boondoggle," suggesting instead that it is China that has made significant investments in the EV industry to unfairly compete and put Americans out of work.

Trump's speech also included misleading claims about government spending on EV chargers. He cited a figure of $9 billion spent on eight chargers, which has been factually contradicted. The government actually spent $7 billion on eight charging sites across six states, with no indication of any broken chargers.

This rhetoric from Trump has raised concerns about its potential impact on Elon Musk and his company, Tesla. Despite receiving billions of dollars in subsidies for his companies, Trump has previously criticized Musk, even claiming he could make him "drop to his knees and beg." However, recent endorsements and positive comments from both Musk and Trump have created a cozier relationship between the two.

Murphy remains hopeful that Musk, as the world's richest man, can have a positive influence on Trump regarding EVs. He emphasized the importance of American voters understanding that the EV issue is a consumer choice and a jobs matter. Murphy believes that the more voters recognize the misleading and demagogic nature of Trump's rhetoric, the less they will reward it, ultimately benefiting the American EV industry over foreign competition.

Only time will tell if Elon Musk's support and influence can sway Trump's stance on electric vehicles. As the country heads towards the presidential election, the future of the EV industry hangs in the balance, dependent on the decisions made by the next administration.