China lifts curbs on Tesla cars as Musk lobbies hard for clearance

Beijing, April 29

In a big relief for Tesla, its vehicles passed the key test of compliance with China’s data security rules as its billionaire CEO Elon Musk who air dashed to Beijing on Sunday met Premier Li Qiang to press for all-clear approval for his cars which faced stiff competition from local rivals.

Musk’s Tesla, which in recent months faced entry bans in Chinese government-affiliated buildings besides military bases due to security concerns over data leaks, “passed” the security assessment by a state-owned Chinese industrial association on Monday.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team or Coordination Centre of China on Monday published a list of 76 models of intelligent connected vehicles that meet the country’s auto data security requirements, including those from Tesla.

This is Musk’s second visit to China which is Tesla’s second-biggest market. Built and put into operation in 2019, the Shanghai factory, Tesla’s first gigafactory outside the US, delivered 947,000 vehicles last year, which was 33 per cent more than in 2022.

His visit came amid reports that Tesla car drivers in China faced entry bans in government-affiliated buildings as security concerns with the US increased.

Chinese electric vehicles and its popular social media app TikTok faced restrictions and bans in the US over security and data breach concerns. — AP

US top court rejects Musk’s plea over tweets

Washington: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Elon Musk over a settlement with securities regulators that requires him to get approval in advance for some tweets that relate to Tesla, the electric vehicle company he leads.

Faced entry ban in govt buildings

• Elon Musk’s Tesla, which in recent months faced entry bans in Chinese government-affiliated buildings besides military bases due to security concerns over data leaks, “passed” the security assessment by a state-owned Chinese industrial association
• The association said the test aimed to help regulate auto data processing, protect the rights of car users, and build a sound environment for auto data security and the industry
• Tests were carried out according to related laws and standards, and the carmakers submitted their models voluntarily, it said

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