The narrative surrounding Tesla appears to have shifted for the better in China, with Xinhua News Agency, the official state-run press agency of the People’s Republic of China, recently posting a glowing analysis of the EV maker’s effect on the country’s auto sector. According to the media outlet, Tesla’s arrival has done a lot for China, as it helped break the old, negative stereotypes that have long been associated with the “Made in China” brand.
China-made vehicles have long suffered from the reputation of being “low price, low quality, and low value.” In a way, such labels were quite fair considering that China had focused its exports in the past on low-quality vehicles that were sold dirt-cheap in developing countries. Tesla, however, changed this, since, from the get-go, the American EV maker was open about its intent to develop Gigafactory Shanghai into a facility that could truly be considered one of the best in the world.
Tesla did not need any secret formulas to accomplish this goal. It simply ensured that the vehicles produced in Gigafactory Shanghai were on par, if not better, than the cars that it was producing in the Fremont Factory. And for all intents and purposes, Giga Shanghai was successful in this endeavor. Tesla China’s vehicles have been largely praised for their stellar quality — so much so that both the Model 3 and the Model Y have been exported to foreign territories.
Some EV enthusiasts have even started preferring Tesla’s Made-in-China cars compared to the company’s American-made vehicles due to the former’s consistent build quality. The capabilities of Made-in-China Teslas in deep floodwaters have also become compelling trends in social media, with users fondly dubbing the electric cars as “Boat Mode” EVs.
In an interview with Xinhua, Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Lotus Group, noted that the new energy vehicle market in China had been mostly tepid before Tesla’s arrival. Veteran automakers didn’t put much effort into making compelling green cars, and some companies ended up relying more on subsidies to get by. This led to weak technological innovation, low product capabilities, and a rather bleak market response. Tesla proved to be a completely different animal, however.
“The arrival of Tesla has reshaped market perception, not only driving the rise of new forces, but also forcing traditional car companies to increase their transformation efforts, catalyzing the full-scale outbreak of the new energy market in recent years,” Feng remarked.
Tesla’s bet in China appears to have largely paid off. Today, Giga Shanghai stands as the company’s primary vehicle export hub, both for the Model 3 and Model Y. This has allowed Tesla to optimize its operations in the Fremont Factory, while accelerating the start of vehicle production in other sites like Gigafactory Texas. Quite interestingly, Tesla has become a model of sorts for other EV makers in China, as it proved that a company with a compelling product could break the country’s long-established negative stereotype. One just has to work extremely hard to make a difference.
“The emergence of Tesla has expanded the export sales area of Chinese cars to developed markets such as Europe and the United States, breaking the prejudice of ‘low price, low quality, and low value’ made in China, and sending ‘high quality, high value’ Chinese made cars,” Xinhua wrote.
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Elon Musk
Tesla Giga Berlin growth could stall if not “free from external influences”: Elon Musk
The comments were delivered in a pre-recorded video discussion.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly warned that future expansion of Gigafactory Berlin could be jeopardized if the site does not remain “free from external influences.”
Musk’s comments were delivered in a pre-recorded video discussion with employees and came at a sensitive moment for the facility, where union representation has been a recurring issue.
According to reports from Handelsblatt and Der Spiegel, citing participants at the event, Musk suggested that if Giga Berlin is no longer “free from external influences,” further expansion would become unlikely. He did not, however, hint that the plant would shut down.
While Musk did not name IG Metall directly, his remarks were widely interpreted as referencing the union, which is currently the largest faction on the works council but does not hold a majority, as noted in an electrive report.
The video conversation was conducted between Musk in Austin and Grünheide plant manager André Thierig, then played back to the workforce in Germany. Works council elections are scheduled for early March, heightening the tension between management and organized labor.
The CEO has previously voiced concerns that stronger union influence could limit Tesla’s operational flexibility and long-term strategy in Germany.
Despite the warning on expansion, Musk praised the Giga Berlin site during the same address, describing it as one of the most advanced factories worldwide and highlighting its cleanliness and team culture.
The discussion also reportedly touched on battery cell production. According to attendees cited in German media, Musk indicated that Tesla has begun ramping cell production at the site. That would mark a notable shift from earlier expectations that large-scale cell manufacturing in Brandenburg would not begin until 2027.
Elon Musk
Tesla Full Self-Driving’s newest behavior is the perfect answer to aggressive cars
According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.
Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to have a new behavior that is the perfect answer to aggressive drivers.
According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.
With FSD’s constantly-changing Speed Profiles, it seems as if this solution could help eliminate the need to tinker with driving modes from the person in the driver’s seat. This tends to be one of my biggest complaints from FSD at times.
A video posted on X shows a Tesla on Full Self-Driving pulling over to the shoulder on windy, wet roads after another car seemed to be following it quite aggressively. The car looks to have automatically sensed that the vehicle behind it was in a bit of a hurry, so FSD determined that pulling over and letting it by was the best idea:
Tesla appears to be implementing some sort of feature that will now pull over if someone is tailgating you to let the car by
Really cool feature, definitely get a lot of this from those who think they drive race cars
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 26, 2026
We can see from the clip that there was no human intervention to pull over to the side, as the driver’s hands are stationary and never interfere with the turn signal stalk.
This can be used to override some of the decisions FSD makes, and is a great way to get things back on track if the semi-autonomous functionality tries to do something that is either unneeded or not included in the routing on the in-car Nav.
FSD tends to move over for faster traffic on the interstate when there are multiple lanes. On two-lane highways, it will pass slower cars using the left lane. When faster traffic is behind a Tesla on FSD, the vehicle will move back over to the right lane, the correct behavior in a scenario like this.
Perhaps one of my biggest complaints at times with Full Self-Driving, especially from version to version, is how much tinkering Tesla does with Speed Profiles. One minute, they’re suitable for driving on local roads, the next, they’re either too fast or too slow.
When they are too slow, most of us just shift up into a faster setting, but at times, even that’s not enough, see below:
What has happened to Mad Max?
At one point it was going 32 in a 35. Traffic ahead had pulled away considerably https://t.co/bjKvaMVTNX pic.twitter.com/aaZSWmLu5v
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 24, 2026
There are times when it feels like it would be suitable for the car to just pull over and let the vehicle that is traveling behind pass. This, at least up until this point, it appears, was something that required human intervention.
Now, it looks like Tesla is trying to get FSD to a point where it just knows that it should probably get out of the way.
Elon Musk
Tesla Megapack powers $1.1B AI data center project in Brazil
By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.
Tesla’s Megapack battery systems will be deployed as part of a 400MW AI data center campus in Uberlândia, Brazil. The initiative is described as one of Latin America’s largest AI infrastructure projects.
The project is being led by RT-One, which confirmed that the facility will integrate Tesla Megapack battery energy storage systems (BESS) as part of a broader industrial alliance that includes Hitachi Energy, Siemens, ABB, HIMOINSA, and Schneider Electric. The project is backed by more than R$6 billion (approximately $1.1 billion) in private capital.
According to RT-One, the data center is designed to operate on 100% renewable energy while also reinforcing regional grid stability.
“Brazil generates abundant energy, particularly from renewable sources such as solar and wind. However, high renewable penetration can create grid stability challenges,” RT-One President Fernando Palamone noted in a post on LinkedIn. “Managing this imbalance is one of the country’s growing infrastructure priorities.”
By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.
“The facility will be capable of absorbing excess electricity when supply is high and providing stabilization services when the grid requires additional support. This approach enhances resilience, improves reliability, and contributes to a more efficient use of renewable generation,” Palamone added.
The model mirrors approaches used in energy-intensive regions such as California and Texas, where large battery systems help manage fluctuations tied to renewable energy generation.
The RT-One President recently visited Tesla’s Megafactory in Lathrop, California, where Megapacks are produced, as part of establishing the partnership. He thanked the Tesla team, including Marcel Dall Pai, Nicholas Reale, and Sean Jones, for supporting the collaboration in his LinkedIn post.
Tesla Giga Berlin growth could stall if not “free from external influences”: Elon Musk
Tesla Full Self-Driving’s newest behavior is the perfect answer to aggressive cars
