There is often a fine line between genius and madness. Trump whisperer Elon Musk, who was revered as a genius by large parts of the European public just a few years ago, now seems at best delusional and at worst malicious to the same people. A bureaucracy shredder who chops up the old without building anything new.

As an innovation genius, the 53-year-old, who has a double-digit number of patents to his name, is nowhere near a true visionary like Steve Jobs, who has 1,000. And as a climate saviour, he is only good in the glorified eyes of Tesla disciples, while his primary talent is revealed in the expansion of his corporate empire and the increase in his wealth.

Musk, who currently prefers to drum up support in the USA for a new world order under US President Donald Trump rather than for a sustainable transformation, has at best demonstrated ingenious tactics in his remote control of Europe's car manufacturers and the EU Commission, which he has skilfully put on the e-car trail over the past decade. Meanwhile, the question arises: Is the road to an electrified automotive future possibly a technological dead end? In any case, all the major car manufacturers are currently engaged in hasty turnaround manoeuvres. The picture is characterised by job cuts and the relaunch of combustion models.

The promise of e-mobility is now somewhat reminiscent of the „blooming landscapes“ that former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl promised the new federal states at the time of reunification in 1990. The difference is that the deceased former chancellor's advertising message served a higher purpose, while Musk's blossoming fantasy that in future „99% of cars will be electric and autonomous“ primarily serves his own bank balance.

Musk's grip on OpenAI, and his influence on European and American politics, should have made it clear that the only sustainable aspect of the Tesla boss's strategy is his quest for power. It is time for the EU to ensure that the Musk accident does not end in a total loss for local car manufacturers.