When asked about Tesla’s competition, Musk replied that he admires Chinese car companies and said China is the most competitive market in the world. Musk did not identify the Chinese automaker by name.
“They work the hardest, they work the smartest,” he said. “So we speculate that the next most likely next to Tesla is probably a non-Chinese company.”
Tesla recently promoted Tom Zhu, the Chinese chief who runs US factories and sales in North America and Europe, Reuters reported.
“Our team is winning in China,” Musk said. “When [we] We believe we can actually attract the best talent in China. So I hope it continues.”
Tesla cut prices in response to increased competition and slowing demand in China, followed by price cuts in the U.S. and other markets.
Musk has praised Chinese workers and competitors before.
In 2021, he called Chinese automakers “the most competitive in the world” and said some of them are very good at software. He said he was “burning oil at 3 a.m.” to keep Tesla’s factories running during the COVID lockdown.