During an interview at the New York Times Dealbook Summit, Mary Barra clarified her position on the origins of the EV boom. She recounted telling President Biden that while he credited her and GM, "a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla." Barra emphasized her desire not to take credit for achievements that weren't hers, a sentiment reported by Business Insider.

This public acknowledgment follows a notable event in 2021 when President Biden visited GM's "Factory Zero" plant. At the time, Biden had praised Barra and GM for leading the charge, stating they had "electrified the entire automotive industry." Many observers, however, were left puzzled by the President's decision to overlook Tesla's pioneering role in the EV market Back in 2021.

Indeed, companies like GM and Ford largely followed in the footsteps of Tesla after it started to take market share. Elon Musk himself later commented on Biden’s words, expressing surprise at Tesla's exclusion from an EV summit and the subsequent praise directed at GM. The transition to electric vehicles is not just about new cars; it's about reshaping an entire industry and moving towards a more sustainable future, making the origins of this shift critically important.

The stark contrast in early EV production further illustrates this point. In the fourth quarter of 2021, shortly after Biden's remarks, Tesla delivered an impressive 300,000 electric vehicles. In the same period, GM managed to deliver only 26 EVs, highlighting Tesla's substantial head start and market dominance in driving the electrification movement.