Uber and Tesla take different roads over immigration row

By Euronews

Published on 03/02/2017 - 17:47

Uber's Travis Kalanick has quit President Trump's business advisory group while Tesla's Elon Musk stays to raise objections for "the greater good".

Uber’s chief executive Travis Kalanick has quit President Donald Trump’s business advisory group.

He stepped down amid mounting pressure from the ride app’s customers and drivers who are opposed to Trump’s temporary ban on people from seven majority-Muslim nations entering the US.

Social media campaigns had targeted Uber, urging users to delete their accounts and shift to its rival Lyft.

Kalanick said being on the council was going to get in the way of advocating for just change on immigration.

1/The travel ban is against everything Uber</a> stands for. 1000’s of drivers affected - <a href="https://t.co/1YXQ5XRnGU">https://t.co/1YXQ5XRnGU</a></p>— travis kalanick (travisk) January 29, 2017

The White House said in a statement that did not mention Uber that Trump “understands the importance of an open dialogue with fellow business leaders to discuss how to best make our nation’s economy stronger.”

Musk staying for ‘the greater good’

Meanwhile Elon Musk of electric carmaker Tesla said he has decided to remain as a contributor to Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum and pledged to raise objections to the administration’s immigration policies during the group’s meeting on Friday.

In a tweet Musk said his presence on the advisory council did not mean that he agrees with the administration but engaging with Trump on critical issues serves the greater good.