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Elon Musk answers Twitter workers questions about remote work and free speech

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Elon Musk answered a few questions from Twitter workers. He specifically talked about remote work and free speech at the virtual meeting. 

Remote Work at Twitter

Musk outlined a remote work setup for Twitter employees, incentivizing exceptional performance. According to people who attended the meeting, the Tesla CEO stated that Twitter workers who are “exceptional at their jobs” may work from home. However, he also reiterated the importance of physical attendance and working in person. He stated that working in person would be the priority. 

Twitter employees may follow similar rules to Tesla workers for remote work. Musk recently announced a new work-from-home policy for Tesla workers. In an internal email to Tesla executives, Musk states that any employees who wish to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum of 40 hours per week. 

In April, Elon Musk floated the idea of converting Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters into a homeless shelter since “no one shows up anyway.” Jeff Bezos supported the idea and even advised Musk to covert part of it to a homeless shelter so it would be easy for Twitter employees to volunteer if they wanted. 

Elon Musk received several invites from state politicians to move Twitter’s HQ into their neck of the woods. Texas Governor Greg Abbott pitched the idea to Elon Musk, arguing that his other companies had already established offices in the Lone Star state, including Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company.

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Free Speech on Twitter

Besides remote work, Elon Musk also talked about free speech with Twitter employees at the virtual meeting. He said that Twitter users should be able to say “pretty outrageous things” as long as they don’t violate the law. 

Musk shared his thoughts on Twitter’s permanent bans during an interview with the Financial Times. He believes that parma-bans “fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as a ‘town square.’” 

“I think if there are Tweets that are wrong and bad, they should be either deleted or made invisible, and a suspension, a temporary suspension is appropriate. But not a permanent ban,” Musk said during the interview. 

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101

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Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

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Tesla updates its “FSD” branding in China

The functions of the systems, despite their updated names, remain unchanged.

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Credit: @DriveGreen80167/X

Tesla has tweaked the naming of its smart driving system offerings in China, with the company dropping “FSD” terminology from its vehicle order pages. The update was observed by industry watchers earlier this week.

Names Adjusted, Features Intact

Tesla China’s RMB 64,000 ($8,820) package—once listed as “FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving”—has been updated to “Intelligent Assisted Driving.” Its RMB 32,000 mid-tier system, previously dubbed “Enhanced Version Automated Assisted Driving”, has also been updated to “Enhanced Assisted Driving.”

Tesla’s basic Autopilot system, which was previously dubbed “Basic Version Assisted Driving,” has been changed to “Basic Assisted Driving” as well. Even the system’s umbrella term has been updated from “Autopilot Automated Assisted Driving” to simply “Assisted Driving Package.”

It should be noted that the functions of the systems, despite their updated names, remain unchanged, as noted in a CNEV Post report.

FSD’s China Evolution

Tesla China rolled out its first set of FSD features in late February, though the company made it a point to not brand the update as a release of “Full Self-Driving” features. Tesla China implemented a naming change to FSD at the time, updating its top-tier RMB 64,000 package’s name from “Full Self-driving Capability” to “FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving.” Tesla also launched an offer that allowed customers in China to experience the newly-released FSD features for free until April 16, though reports later suggested that the program was paused.

Cautious Steps Forward

Tesla has not explained the reasons behind FSD’s name change in China, though it seems to suggest that the company may be taking a rather cautious approach towards the eventual, planned release of an autonomous driving system in the country. As it is today, FSD is very capable and its real-world tests in China are very impressive. However, it is still not an unsupervised self-driving system. It would then not be surprising if “Full Self-Driving” terminology in China is reintroduced once unsupervised FSD is released.

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Tesla faces Trump’s 25% tariffs as Musk stays silent

Trump’s 25% tariffs could help Tesla or mess up its supply chain. How will Giga Texas and the Fremont Factory respond to Trump’s tariffs? 

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
(Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Tesla faces a fresh hurdle after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on all non-U.S.-made cars on Wednesday. The President clarified that Elon Musk stayed silent and provided no input into the 25% tariffs.

“He may have a conflict,” Trump noted. He added that Musk, who heads Tesla and the efficiency-driven DOGE initiative, has never asked for business favors.

Trump’s tariffs are set to begin on April 2 for imported cars, and by May 3, the levies will hit imported auto parts, stirring questions about Tesla’s fate. Trump told reporters the impact might be “net neutral or good,” mentioning Tesla’s plants in Austin, Texas, and Fremont, California.

“Anybody with plants in the U.S.—it’s going to be good for them,” he said. Yet Tesla recently warned the U.S. Trade Representative in a letter that “certain parts and components are difficult or impossible” to source domestically, even with ‘aggressive localization.’ The company urged caution over the “downstream impacts” of trade actions.

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According to CNBC, Tesla and other automakers rely on foreign suppliers in Mexico, Canada, and China for headlamps, brakes, glass, suspension parts, and circuit boards. Musk has commented that Trump’s tariffs would significantly impact Tesla.

Trump’s tariffs have affected companies abroad, including Tesla suppliers in India. Competition is heating up as more brands roll out electric models, though China’s BYD remains barred from U.S. sales. Shares of Tesla, General Motors, Ford, and Rivian dipped slightly after hours following the announcement.

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Tesla suppliers in India hit by Trump’s 25% Auto Tariffs

Trump’s new 25% auto tariffs shook India’s auto market. Tesla suppliers like Tata Motors saw stocks plunge.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla suppliers in India, including Tata Motors and key auto parts makers, saw sharp declines on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled plans to impose 25% tariffs on all imported cars and auto parts.

According to the Trump Administration, the U.S. President’s 25% tariffs will hit imported cars and light trucks coming into the United States by April 2, 2025. By May 3, 2025, Trump’s tariffs will extend to include auto parts. The decision sent shockwaves through the global auto industry, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk noting on X that the impact on the EV giant is “significant.”

Despite Musk’s words, many believe that Tesla will benefit from Trump’s tariffs. Although, it would probably adversely affect Tesla’s plans to enter the Indian market. Tesla has already started the certification process for two vehicles in India.

Following Trump’s tariff announcements, Tata Motors dropped 5%, while Sona Comstar, Tesla’s largest Indian supplier, fell over 4%, dragging the auto sector down 1.2% in India, the world’s third-largest auto market. Reuters reported that Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which exports luxury vehicles from the UK and Slovakia, relies heavily on the U.S. as a key market.

Other Indian suppliers felt the strain as well. Samvardhana Motherson, a major auto parts provider, slipped over 2%. Meanwhile, Tesla supplier Bharat Forgedipped by 0.4%. The U.S. accounts for 20% of Samvardhana’s revenue and 40% of Sona Comstar’s, with North America as its dominant region. The downturn echoed broader losses among global carmakers like Toyota, Hyundai, Stellantis, and Ford–all of which saw shares slide after the tariff news broke.

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