Musk’s sway over Trump could devastate electric vehicles — except his own

Elon Musk’s ascension as a top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump gives him tremendous power to sculpt the new administration’s approach to electric vehicles — and is sparking renewed scrutiny of his motives.

Trump’s announcement that the Tesla CEO would join the pharmaceutical entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in running a so-called Department of Government Efficiency not only offers Musk an opportunity to sway Trump on federal policies that affect all automakers. It could also let him influence decisions that give Tesla — the nation’s largest EV-maker — a leg up on its competitors.