Is Tesla Going to Partner With China's Google To Build A Car?

by Aaron Cole

Updated: December 30th, 2020 Published: October 23rd, 2015

Tesla could start building cars in China within two years, which could help the automaker jumpstart sales there and increase volume for the small automaker, Reuters reported.

Tesla chief Elon Musk said the car company could cut costs on cars for sale there by one-third. Normally, foreign automakers are required to partner with domestic companies before building cars in China. For example, General Motors has partnered with SAIC Motor since 1998, who also partners with Volkswagen.

Musk said Tesla is already partnering with Baidu, China’s largest search engine, to provide GPS data.

Wait. Tesla is already partnering with China’s largest search engine company? That sounds, um, interesting.

According to Reuters, Tesla has sold 3,025 Model S cars in China during the first nine months of this year. By producing the cars in China, Tesla could significantly increase sales and quash some questionable competition in that country.

However, the automaker’s partnership with Baidu could prove to be more interesting and fruitful than a joint venture with Lifan (BS: “A JV with tiny Lifan would bring Tesla nothing,”) or Chang’an (BS: “Basically, it would be a JV with China’s military-industrial complex.”)

In June, Baidu said that it would make available its first driverless car in the second half of 2015, according to the BBC. That car, which was developed with BMW, would be the first prototype for the company. (BMW has a JV with Brilliance Auto.)

According to the BBC:

The head of Baidu’s deep learning lab Yu Kai has previously told the press that the firm does not agree with Google’s view of a completely autonomous car, looking instead to develop a vehicle that will retain the traditional pedals but give the driver greater freedom.

We know of one: In October, Tesla rolled out its autonomous software for many of its Model S sedans in America.

Just saying.

#AutonomousCars #Baidu #China #ElonMusk #Tesla

Aaron Cole

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Tengu on Oct 23, 2015

For security reasons China developed its own GPS system called Beidou (North Star). It would make sense that the largest search engine company in China would have deep expertise with mapping software using that data. Also it's possible that China would not let any foreign company know about inner workings of its GPS system.

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Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Oct 23, 2015

Unlike STUPID AMERICA, China practices totalitarian economic protectionism. They won't let you do ANYTHING there unless it's a joint-venture and they are getting a cut. They build companies in other countries and send their people there to work them. when President Trump is sworn in, he can put our affairs in order.

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- Von on Oct 24, 2015
  
  Trump is an entertainer, no wonder you like him. President Trump though, will bankrupt this country and will be talking to bankers at 3am, outside, in the rain, begging for a loan extension. Only this time, they will be Chinese instead of Japanese. Scary thing is, I'll probably vote for him over Clinton, if it comes to that. We are pretty damn well doomed.
  
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- NickS on Oct 25, 2015
  
  Putting our affairs in order requires a well oiled political system that can process the small day to day as well as large-scale long-term strategic policy. We haven't had that for almost a couple of decades now. Anyone who thinks that one party or one person can somehow change all this is naive. Campaign financing, political donations lobbying and legislative capture, gerymandering, you name it all the deep systemic problems stand no chance of getting dealt with in the foreseeable future. That is our future. Take govt shutdowns. They are part of regular political brinkmanship purely for the sake of disfunction. How is this any indication the country can solve problems? Take just one example, any example of a problem needing a solution. Gridlock. You mentioned trump. This is exactly it. The loudest and most uneducated idiots in the furtest fringes and darkest corners want the absolute biggest ass clown as a candidate. What you need is the most boring, predictable, cautious, and astute candidate with knowledge and experience in negotiation, trade, commerce, economics, science and world politics. not a trump or a Palin or any other whack job to fill peoples brain with crap. Everyone will benefit from having sensible down to earth candidates in all parties. Seriously, china for all their ills can execute! We can't. We just argue so we can argue some more. And if you think china is somehow stoppable ... good luck with that. You really don't know the elephant in the room. The best we can do is work tige If you really want to put your country's affairs in order you stand a better chance of success by moving to China.
  
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