How Elon Musk backed away from his climate crusade

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1. Earlier this year, top executives at Tesla gathered in Palo Alto to sell CEO Elon Musk on a line of compact cars that would bring the electric-vehicle revolution to budget-conscious consumers across the world. The more affordable car had long been part of Musk’s master plan for Tesla to fight climate change by “accelerat[ing] the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

   But Musk axed the proposal, amid budget constraints, according to two people close to Musk who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Instead, the billionaire green-lit a massive purchase of computer chips, in a deal [worth billions](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1784561310883344542?s=46&t=gCyQFm4KvXRKGBnU3utTtA) intended to enhance Tesla’s luxury cars (and a humanoid robot called Optimus) with [energy-intensive artificial intelligence](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/11/19/ai-cop29-climate-data-centers/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4) capabilities.

   The internal deliberations over the so-called Tesla Model 2, which have not previously been reported, reflect a significant shift in the billionaire’s attitude toward climate change. And with Musk deeply embedded in the incoming administration of President-elect [Donald Trump](https://www.washingtonpost.com/donald-trump/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5), his startling transformation from environmental crusader to critic of dire climate predictions could help bolster moves in Washington against [clean energy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/15/why-trump-hates-wind-turbines/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5) — and even electric vehicles.

   Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/10/elon-musk-climate-change-worldview-trump/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/10/elon-musk-climate-change-worldview-trump/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)

2. Probably because we’re shifting from “won’t see effects in our life time…” To “models are predicting 3° by 2060”

   It’s not happening in the distant future, and Tesla isn’t going to save the day. They’re starting to doom prep now

3. Elon is a selfish hypocrite. Just like all republicans are.

4. Elon is a billionaire who will not personally be affected by the climate crisis. He doesn’t really care about climate change. He has only ever cared about money and power.

   Electric cars were never about saving the climate for Musk, they were simply a new market to tap into. Zero tailpipe emissions was simply a marketing ploy to get people to buy his cars.

   Musk bankrolled the campaign of a climate change denier who wants to drill more, personally tried to kill rail transportation projects that are much cleaner than cars, and is constantly promoting anti scientific nonsense on his platform. The evidence is overwhelming that he doesn’t give a crap.

5. He shifted hard to the right when reports started to surface about his harassment and sexual assaults against women who worked for him. He knew they would protect him from “being cancelled” (code for when a thin skinned white dude faces criticism for the first time in his life).

   His climate crusade was never sincere in the first place. After all, were high end sporty electric vehicles that make EV’s sexy and cool to western consumers what we actually needed circa 2012 to stave off climate change? Anyone who knows anything about transportation would have told you that investing in public transportation would have had a far greater impact. Elon’s crusade was all about his desire to get attention for being the only genius who could save the planet. He wants people to think he’s Tony Stark when in reality he’s just JP from Grandma’s boy. Elon is a fraud and always has been.

6. Remember when Elon was THE left wing billionaire?

   There are no billionaire allies.

7. You’re watching a billionaire meltdown because his kid is trans. He is a man who is used to having control over everything and his ego is deeply bruised because his child made a choice he now doesn’t agree with.

   The positions he held previously were less important to him than people thought and were probably more tied to marketing than personal beliefs. He became friends with the people who shared his opinions on trans people and now that’s the people he aligns himself with.

   It’s not a difficult mystery to solve. He’s pretty transparent.

8. Let’s be real, he was never on a climate crusade. He just wanted to sell his cars and remember that the hyperloop debacle was just to screw over the high-speed train in CA. Just like buying twitter had nothing to do with free speech. He has been a fraud, the whole time!

9. Elon never cared about climate change he cares about Elon’s.

10. Musk is basically the guy who says he’s a feminist so ha can creep on girls more easily.  

11. DOn’t know if the Washington Post is really on the side of climate change mitigation.

12. He was only in it for the fascism.

13. Wait a billionaire only cared about money and power the whole time? I’m shocked.

14. The moment activist said “climate justice” he was gone.

15. This goes for Musk, Trump, Clinton, Biden, Bush, Obama, Harris, etc.

    *no one is going to fight against the system that made them and their friends millionaires/billionaires*

    If you believe any one of those people are looking out for the best interest of the public or planet then you are either gullible, stupid, disingenuous or a mix of the three.

16. Can somebody deal with him next?

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