NEW YORK: US President Joe Biden, who has not publicly referred to Tesla when talking about electric vehicles since taking office, finally did so Tuesday after the carmaker's head Elon Musk complained about the lack of attention.

The White House has indicated a preference for traditional manufacturers employing unionized workers, and Musk has made his feelings about that proclivity known.

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"For reasons unknown, @potus is unable to say the word 'Tesla,'" he wrote, tagging the official account of the President of the United States, the latest of several tweets targeting Biden.

The president finally mentioned Tesla at an event announcing the creation of an electric vehicle charging station factory in Tennessee.

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Referring to the companies that had invested in factories in recent months in the United States, he first mentioned "iconic companies," like GM and Ford and their new electric vehicle production, but then cited "Tesla, our nation's largest electric vehicle manufacturer."

Musk replied to a tweet noting the comment with a smiling sunglasses emoji.