SINGAPORE, Jan 4 — Tesla’s chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk has asserted once again in a tweet that the Singapore government has been “unwelcome” of his automotive company in the Republic.

Musk was responding to another tweet yesterday asking why the company’s electric cars are not available here.

He wrote “Govt has been unwelcome” (sic), without elaborating further.

TODAY has reached out to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for comment.

In May last year, Musk had also said that the Republic’s policies were not supportive of electric vehicles (EVs). He had tweeted in response to a netizen asking if he could “allow us in Singapore to get a Tesla”.

Responding to Musk’s assertion at the time, the LTA had said in June last year that it encouraged the adoption of greener and cleaner vehicles such as hybrid buses and electric vehicles.

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LTA added that this was part of its approach to “address emissions from the land transport sector and improve air quality”.

Meanwhile, the Tesla founder also responded to another tweet on the same thread yesterday — which charged that Singapore’s economy “is reliant upon fossil fuels” and that the government is against EVs — saying that the Republic “has enough area to switch to solar or battery (power)” and be “energy-independent”.

Jumping into the fray, Razer CEO Tan Min-Liang tweeted at Musk saying that he is “happy to get a solar or battery outfit” when his company’s new South-east Asia headquarters in one-north opens in 2020 to test or showcase the technology.

Tan had previously said that he had placed an order for a Tesla 3 in Singapore.

In 2016, Musk said he had contacted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after it was reported that a Tesla car owner here had to pay S$15,000 (RM45,557) in carbon surcharges. — TODAY