Elon Musk vowed to close down Tesla if its EVs were used to spy in China

Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief, declared last weekend that he would close down his car company if the electric cars they made were really used to spy in China or anywhere else. He gave this statement after it was reported that the Chinese military banned Tesla cars in its facilities.

Why Tesla has been banned

Reuters was informed by sources that the military in China announced that all Tesla cars are prohibited from entering its compounds. It was said that the force indicated security concerns as the reason for the new directive.

In particular, the Chinese military explained that the cameras in the Tesla cars are what is mainly bothering them. Based on the report, the order for the banning of Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicles emerged during a meeting in Alaska that was attended by high-ranking Chinese and American diplomats.

Musk’s reaction to the unexpected restriction from the Chinese government

Elon Musk denied that his Tesla cars are spying in China or anywhere else. In his speech to the China Development Forum, he urged the Chinese government to foster greater mutual trust.

“There’s a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information,” Musk said during the virtual meeting. “If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down.”

In any case, Tesla sold over 147,445 electric vehicles in China last year. This number makes up 30% of the total that the EV-maker sold worldwide. Currently, Tesla is competing for head to head with local EV manufacturers, Geely and Nio.

The Wall Street Journal noted that government agencies, state-owned companies, and people who are working for the Chinese army had been prohibited from using Tesla cars, especially if they will bring the EVs to their respective facilities.

It was claimed that since the car has exterior cameras that continuously record footage, the clips and images could be collected and sent to the U.S. The Chinese are suspicious and believe this could happen, and this prompted Elon Musk to speak up and assure China that his cars are not being used in that way, and it was all a misunderstanding.