Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, has pushed the government to make drivers of petrol cars "pay more," just days after the Labour Party's victory in the general elections.
Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, openly intervened in British politics through social media, predicting "civil war" and criticizing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
But behind the scenes, his company was trying to persuade the new government to continue policies that would increase Tesla's profits.
The company urged the expansion of the mandate for increased electric vehicle sales to include trucks and suggested that electric vehicle (EV) subsidies could be funded by people purchasing petrol and diesel cars.
"The government must make those who still choose to buy new polluting cars pay more," wrote Tesla's European head, Joe Ward, in a letter to Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood in July.
The letter, published in response to a Freedom of Information request, according to the electric vehicle newsletter "Fast Charge," shows that Tesla "strongly supported the Labour Party's stance on decarbonizing the energy system by 2030, growing and achieving zero emissions."
The praise came just weeks before Musk sharply criticized the UK government over summer unrest.
In September, the BBC reported that Musk was not invited to a government investment summit, partly due to his political interventions.
Since then, the billionaire has become an important ally of future US President Donald Trump. The sharp rise in the value of his Tesla shares after the US elections fueled Musk's incredible wealth growth.
Currently, the UK government is consulting on changes to a key measure aimed at encouraging electric vehicle sales — the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
The ZEV mandate requires automakers to sell a set number of electric vehicles annually. If they don't meet their targets, they must purchase credits from other electric vehicle makers who have sold more low-emission vehicles.
UK car manufacturers insist on watering down the policy, claiming that customers are not yet buying electric vehicles in sufficient quantities.
In its letter, Tesla lobbied for the opposite policy, stating that the ZEV mandate "should be protected and strengthened."
Tesla seeks to become the primary beneficiary of the ZEV mandate, as it can sell surplus credits from electric vehicles made in China.
Tesla also lobbied the new government to position the UK at the forefront of "scaling autonomous vehicles" and offered to showcase the company's vision.