In a pre-signed video message, Tesla boss Elon Musk addressed visitors to a conference for low-emission cars in China on Friday. Unusually finely dressed and apparently reading from a screen, Musk made it clear that he sees electric cars at a turning point thanks to more interest and government support – Tesla will try to make its vehicles “as affordable as possible” in this environment, he said. And the Tesla CEO paid his virtual hosts a big compliment: In his opinion, the Chinese electric car industry is the most competitive in the world.
Tesla boss praises competition from China
China is the largest and most dynamic market for “New Energy Vehicles”, said Musk – this term is used to summarize rechargeable cars and fuel cell vehicles. Consumers in the country are demanding more connected and intelligent functions, according to the Tesla boss, so he sees great growth potential in this area, including autonomous driving. Against this background, Tesla is working hard to reduce the costs and thus prices of its electric cars.
Technologies for this are not only being driven by Tesla, Musk made it clear. He has “great respect” for the many Chinese auto manufacturerswho are also working on it. In his opinion, they are even the most competitive in the world overall. Some of them have become very good, especially when it comes to software, and this factor will have the greatest impact on the auto industry of the future – already in development, but also in production and, above all, in autonomous driving.
When asked how autonomous cars can contribute to greater safety, Musk first reminded them that Tesla is much more than an electric car manufacturer. The company is ultimately developing artificial intelligence based on image analysis for practical use, including its own chips, said the CEO. He also repeated the statement that In his opinion, autonomous driving solely with optical sensors could be achieved. People with their eyes and brains are just a biological version of it that can be simulated with computers in silicon. He is confident that Tesla will be able to achieve ten times greater safety than the average human driver, according to Musk.
Data security as a cornerstone
He was also open to the Chinese government’s request to have more control over the data collected by intelligent cars. Their security is a cornerstone for the further development of the entire industry, said the Tesla boss. In March there had been resentments on this question, because apparently several military ones Facilities in China have banned Tesla parking on their premises. Tesla will work with “national authorities in all countries” to ensure data security in connected cars, Musk said now. The topic is becoming more and more important in view of the strong growth of the industry, and Tesla believes it is necessary to respond with appropriate technical measures.