The Charlotte City Council has voted to remove Tesla from its list of approved electric vehicle (EV) vendors. The decision came following a 6-3 vote during a council meeting on Monday, marking a significant shift in the North Carolina city’s procurement strategy that appears to be based purely on political bias.
While Tesla was removed, the Council approved the purchase of 45 new electric vehicles to replace aging units in the city’s fleet, but those will come from other automakers.
The decision to remove Tesla from the list of approved vendors was made thanks to the work of Council member LaWana Slack-Mayfield, who first raised concerns during a meeting earlier this month, citing what she described as “instability” at Tesla.
Mayfield pushed for the city to stop purchasing vehicles from the automaker, which currently supplies just 15 of Charlotte’s 178 electric fleet vehicles.
“It has been proven on multiple occasions that the instability exists, and I think we can make better choices of tax dollars and identify companies that align with our city’s goals and expectations of truly being a welcoming city. When we are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and putting our employees out in these vehicles using tax dollars, we should also think about the values of the companies we invest in,” Mayfield said. (via WSOC-TV)
The move sparked debate among Council members, with some accusing Mayfield of letting political bias influence what should be a practical decision. Council member Ed Driggs, who voted against the motion along with Council members Tariq Bokhari and Dimple Ajmera, called the removal “politically motivated,” pointing to CEO Elon Musk’s political affiliations and controversies.
“Let’s be objective here, the reason this has been isolated out of this long list is political,” Driggs said. “It has to do with the owner, the majority owner of the Tesla company.” Driggs pointed out that by this logic, Ford, GM, and Toyota should also be off the list.
When deciding what vehicles to buy, Charlotte typically focuses on cost, operational needs, and vendor responsiveness. City staff confirmed that vendor alignment with organizational goals is not a formal part of the procurement criteria. Instead, decisions are based on factors such as the vehicle’s ability to meet service requirements, total cost of ownership, and fleet integration.
Despite this, Council member Malcolm Graham supported Mayfield’s stance, saying, “I want to do business with people that share the same values we do—values like equity and community impact.”
With Tesla out of the picture now, a city spokesperson confirmed that the brand of EVs replacing the outgoing vehicles has not yet been determined.
