OA News | Friday, May 3, 2024 
Analysts: Tesla-China EV market race still tough, despite self-driving win

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s visit this week to Beijing, where he met with Premier Li Qiang and received tentative approval for the full rollout of the company’s complete driver assistance software, has been described in China as the same as receiving a “golden key” to the world’s biggest electric vehicle market. The pledge from Chinese authorities to relax regulations on Tesla’s full self-driving or FSD feature and an expected loosening of restrictions on where the cars can go in China removes major hurdles for the company. It also comes as Tesla struggles with an EV price war that has seen its market share shrink. Analysts say that while the breakthrough in China could help, it may not necessarily be a game changer for the automaker. Richard Du, founder of Auto Weekly Magazine in Sydney, tells VOA’s Mandarin service that Tesla’s market share in China is likely to decline even further. “Tesla is making progress, and so are Chinese cars,” Du said. “But Chinese cars are making progress faster than Tesla, and the biggest advantage [Chinese car companies have] is the entire industry chain, especially car batteries. It has various advantages in terms of cost, technology and patents.” Du said that while Chinese car companies have struggled to match Tesla’s profitability, they have received support from national policies and subsidies. David Lin, an auto expert and vlogger in Taipei, said Musk can…Read more