Tesla is better than Chinese models according to this expert!

Sometimes the most beautiful compliments can come from your worst enemies. Tesla certainly did not expect such a tribute.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Peter Rawlinson, CEO of Lucid Motors and former chief engineer of Tesla, made a more than unexpected statement. Unlikely even, since since leaving Tesla over 10 years ago, the talented British engineer has become Elon Musk’s nemesis, who relentlessly criticize him on his social media platform X. Not appearing bitter, Rawlinson stated that Chinese automakers still have “several years of delay” over Tesla, particularly in key areas such as battery integration technologies and powertrain systems. This statement highlights the leading role Tesla plays in the current electric vehicle market and pays homage to the two decades during which the American manufacturer has become a leader in a rapidly growing industry. Knowing that Peter Rawlinson is one of the fathers of the Model S and has worked at Lotus and Jaguar before joining Tesla in 2009, we can reasonably trust him.

The Strength of Tesla

Tesla has long been at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, pioneering advances that set industry standards. Having never produced anything other than electric vehicles, Tesla envisioned the perfect battery-powered car from scratch without any reference to thermal vehicles. Tesla’s integrated approach to developing powertrain systems has significantly improved efficiency and performance. These levels of excellence have not yet been matched by many other century-old manufacturers, whether European, American, or Asian.

Chinese Progress

But Rawlinson also reminds us that today’s truth may not be tomorrow’s reality! Companies like BYD, NIO, and XPeng have made rapid progress in technology and manufacturing quality. They benefit, of course, from low local labor costs but also from government policies that favor EV adoption. From the old continent, we only talk about unfair competition and subsidies, but the reality is that the Chinese government quickly realized that the cars of tomorrow would be electrified, years before the first European Eco-Bonuses.

Peter Rawlinson honestly recognizes a technological gap between Tesla and its Chinese counterparts, but he mainly challenges the latter to push their limits. If tomorrow Chinese manufacturers manage to close the gap with Tesla, who knows what will happen to the balance of the automotive industry.

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