Why is Elon Musk supporting Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, a man involved in the highly publicized Dieselgate scandal?

Elon Musk has time and again reiterated his stance on global warming and the threat of carbon emissions that are causing the planet to boil at an accelerated rate. Indeed, the Tesla CEO spoke about the topic when he sat down with Joe Rogan’s podcast just over a year ago.

So it came as a surprise when Elon Musk tweeted yesterday that he’s supporting Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. The business magnate – or magnet if Musk has his way – said that Diess is doing everything he can to turn one of the biggest car manufacturers into an electric vehicle company.

“The good of the world should come first. For what it’s worth, he has my support,” Elon Musk said.

Elon Musk and Herbert Diess talking behind closed doors?

So what’s the big deal here? Well, as mentioned earlier, Elon Musk is trying to solve global warming.

Diess, however, has been involved in an on-going investigation called the Dieselgate scandal that started in 2015. You see, Volkswagen intentionally rigged a lab testing that was supposed to gauge the emission output of its car resulting in a false reading of the actual figure, which was found to be 40 times compared to the manipulated result, Bloomberg reported. So with Elon Musk supporting Diess, he’s actually going against his stance against climate change.

So why tweet the statement? Why support Diess and risk the backlash of the public? Well, there are rumors out there that Diess and Elon Musk has been talking behind closed doors about a possible Tesla and Volkswagen merger, Observer reported.

The rumor first started when German business publication Manager Magazin published a report purporting the claim, citing company sources that Volkswagen is trying to acquire Tesla stakes. Volkswagen quickly shot down the claim and Elon Musk has maintained his silence after the whisper spread like wildfire on the web.

Elon Musk could accelerate his goal if Tesla and Volkswagen shake hands

Despite the denial, however, it does make sense for Tesla and Volkswagen to strike a partnership. After all, Volkswagen has been investing in electric vehicles for years and even said that it expects to push out a significant number of them by 2025. Who better to spearhead the project than Elon Musk and Tesla?

Tesla itself could use the funding, and the partnership could be the key to opening up several doors of opportunities. What’s more, Volkswagen transitioning to EV would also tie in with Elon Musk’s desire to transform all vehicles into electric cars that would ultimately help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, with no official confirmation, it’s best to take the rumor with a grain of salt. But it is an interesting one for sure, especially with Musk’s recent tweet.