Standard oil began subsidizing combustion engine cars over 100 years ago, to create a market for their favorite, most profitable product, gasoline. Standard oil paid up to 50% of the cost of every one of henry fords early cars that had a combustion engine, the same way the cell phone companies pay a large portion of your cell phone cost, to encourage you to use it, and run up your bill.

Oil companies kept direct subsidies in place for over 25 years, long enough to drive electric cars out of contention, and establish combustion engine hegemony.

Gasoline at that time was a dangerous by product of kerosene production, and selling it as motor fuel was highly profitable.