Elon Musk meets Chinese Premier and declares all cars will be electric in the future.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently arrived in Beijing for an unannounced visit. He is expected to meet with senior officials to discuss the Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and the permission to transfer data overseas. It has been reported that Musk met with Premier Li Qiang during this visit.

Chinese state media noted that Premier Li Qiang praised Tesla’s development in China as a successful example of US-China economic cooperation. Tesla has a plant in Shanghai and is looking to roll out its FSD software, which has been available in the US for four years, in its second-largest market globally, China. Musk has indicated that FSD may be made available to customers in China “very soon.”

In addition to discussing FSD, Musk is also seeking approval to transfer data collected in China abroad to train algorithms for its autonomous driving technologies. It is worth mentioning that Tesla has stored all data collected by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai since 2021, as required by Chinese regulators, without transferring any back to the United States. While this visit was not publicly announced, it is significant in light of recent developments within the company.

Tesla announced plans to lay off 10% of its global workforce due to falling sales and an intensifying price war for electric vehicles (EVs) led by Chinese brands. Elon Musk’s visit coincided with the Beijing auto show, where he made a statement affirming the future of electric vehicles, expressing optimism about their progress in China. This visit comes shortly after Musk’s cancelled trip to India.

The company has faced challenges, including a recent investigation by US auto safety regulators into the adequacy of its recall of more than 2 million vehicles in the US. Furthermore, it was reported that GM CEO Mary Barra also made an unannounced visit to the Beijing auto show. Tesla does not have a booth at the auto show, and its vice president in charge of external relations in China published a commentary emphasizing the potential for autonomous driving technologies to drive growth in the EV industry.

Elon Musk’s recent statements have also shed light on Tesla’s future plans, including the introduction of new, cheaper models and a “robotaxi” with self-driving technology. The company’s shares have experienced a significant decline this year. In conclusion, Elon Musk’s visit to China has generated significant interest amidst the challenges facing Tesla in the global EV market.