Heinrich Welcomes Nambé Pueblo’s New Partnership With Electric Vehicle Manufacturer Tesla

SANTA FE (Sept. 9, 2021) - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) welcomed the announcement that Tesla is opening up its first sales and service center at Nambé Pueblo in New Mexico, which is the first agreement of its kind with a Tribal Nation. 

Senator Heinrich delivered remarks at the ribbon-cutting event organized by Nambé Pueblo and Tesla, and highlighted his ongoing efforts to decarbonize the nation’s transportation infrastructure and expand the accessibility of electric vehicles. 

“I hope that this is just the start of partnerships like this to bring economic opportunities to Tribal communities. I can’t wait to see how Tesla and the Pueblo will build on this partnership in the months and years ahead to train workers and employees for good-paying, long-term careers right here in Nambé,” said Heinrich.

Senator Heinrich, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, helped to secure significant federal investments in widespread, affordable electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He supported President Biden’s Executive Order that sets a new target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles. The Executive Order also kicked off development of long-term fuel efficiency and emissions standards to save consumers money, cut pollution, boost public health, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.

“We need to double down on this progress and expand uncapped consumer incentives for electric vehicles, make it easier to manufacture electric vehicles in the United States, and fund the rapid electrification of the federal fleet of vehicles. We can make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible to all Americans. We can also guarantee that American workers – rather than just our foreign competitors – benefit from this rapidly growing industry,” said Heinrich. “The climate crisis won’t go away on its own. Our window of opportunity to contain its worst impacts is quickly closing. Electrifying our transportation sector will decarbonize our single greatest source of carbon pollution. We need to make the cars and trucks on our roads central to our climate strategy and economic recovery.”

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