Breaking News/EventExpert OpinionSector Analysis

Joe Biden Credited GM CEO Mary Barra For EVs, But She Said Credit Should Go To Elon Musk

Benzinga•December 04, 2025 at 10:19 AM•Full Content
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Gist

GM CEO Mary Barra credited Elon Musk and Tesla for leading the U.S. EV market surge, despite Biden praising her, amid GM's EV-related layoffs and charges.

LLM Summary

During a New York Times DealBook Summit appearance, GM CEO Mary Barra told President Biden that credit for the U.S. EV market growth should go to Elon Musk and Tesla, not herself. This comes as GM faces significant EV-related challenges, including 3,400 layoffs and a $1.6 billion charge tied to EV capacity adjustments. Meanwhile, Ford CEO Jim Farley and GOP lawmakers praised Trump’s rollback of CAFE standards for improving affordability.

Full Article Content

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) CEO Mary Barra has said that the credit for growing the EV market in the U.S. should go to Elon Musk and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA).

Mary Barra Corrects Joe Biden

During her appearance at the New York Times' DealBook Summit on Wednesday, the CEO shared an anecdote about meeting former U.S. President Joe Biden during an event at the White House in 2021, when Biden credited Barra for the surge in the domestic EV sector.

Barra shared that during a private conversation with Biden, she said that Musk deserved the credit instead of her. "Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla," Barra said, adding that she does not believe in taking credit for things she did not do.

The White House event took place in August 2021, with Biden hosting an EV event with executives from GM, Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and Stellantis NV (NYSE: STLA). However, the Biden administration had snubbed Musk from the event, which the former Vice President Kamala Harris says was a "big mistake."

GM's EV Layoffs

The comments come amid GM announcing it was laying off 3,400 workers, including 1,200 employees at the Detroit EV plant, as well as over 550 layoffs at the Ohio Ultium Cell plant.

The layoffs come as the company also took on a $1.6 billion charge related to EVs, with over $1.2 billion coming from EV capacity changes, while the remaining $400 million in charges were related to contract cancellations.

Ford CEO, GOP Lawmakers Hail Trump CAFE Rollback

Ford CEO Jim Farley, on Wednesday, hailed President Donald Trump's move to relax Corporate Average Fuel Economy norms, calling it a move that will help drive affordability in the U.S. market.

The move was also hailed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), as well as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, with Cruz saying that the move would ensure better safety in vehicles. Cruz is also challenging vehicle safety features like automatic emergency braking, among others, citing affordability concerns.

Metadata

Author:
Badar Shaikh
Image URL:
https://cdn.benzinga.com/files/imagecache/250x187xUP/images/story/2025/12/04/Elon-Musk--founder-and-CEO-and-of-SpaceX.jpeg
Tickers:
F, GM, STLA, TSLA
Updated At:
December 04, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Benzinga Channels:
Equities, Politics, Markets, Tech
Benzinga Tags:
Donald Trump, electric vehicles, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Mary Barra, mobility
Teaser:
Mary Barra credits Elon Musk & Tesla for growing EV market in US, correcting Biden's praise for her in 2021.
Benzinga Stocks:
F (NYSE), GM (NYSE), STLA (NYSE), TSLA (NASDAQ)
Benzinga Article ID:
49203291