Musk has established close ties with officials from China, the world’s largest EV market and home to Tesla’s first overseas factory. About half of the company’s cars sold globally last year were produced at its plant in Shanghai, designed for annual capacity of 450,000 units.
Musk has said that figure may be doubled.
Tesla has boomed in China, helped by preferential treatment such as tax breaks, cheap loans and the green light to wholly own its domestic operations. But it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, who last year came under fire after state media and regulators questioned Tesla’s attitude toward customers.
