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Tesla wants a China-inspired vehicle, and they want you to design it
Tesla is looking to make more of an even bigger impact in China by giving enthusiasts of the company’s electric vehicles the opportunity to design an automobile that could eventually enter production at Giga Shanghai.
The report comes from Tesla owner/enthusiasts @Ray4Tesla on Twitter, who revealed that Tesla China is openly asking for Chinese-inspired designs that would be appropriate for an electric vehicle. The invitation is open to anyone and everyone, meaning a seasoned designer or a Tesla fan can create the car. Tesla will consider submissions, and the chosen design may end up rolling off production lines at Giga Shanghai in the future.
“Even if you are not a car designer, you are welcome to submit. It’s more than just a car designed for you,” Tesla stated. “Please think of China in your Tesla design work.”
Back in Jan, @elonmusk talked abt creating a 🇨🇳 design center to design EVs for the global market. Now @Teslacn is openly asking designers & even nonpros to design a “China-style” EV & submit their works for job review. Tesla is expanding its footprints in the biggest auto market pic.twitter.com/hWQ06XVa5M
— Ray (@ray4tesla) June 15, 2020
Interestingly enough, Tesla stated in January that it planned to open a design and research center in China that would make “Chinese-style” vehicles. The company announced this in a recruitment notice on WeChat, a Chinese social media site, Reuters reported.
“In order to achieve a shift of ‘Made in China’ to ‘Designed in China,’ Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has proposed a very cool thing – set up a design and research center in China,” the post said.
At the time, Tesla was seeking designers and other staff that would operate the design and research center, and applications were due by February 1. It is unknown where the eventual R&D center will be built.
Tesla has made an incredibly successful appearance in the world’s largest automotive market by producing, selling, and registering thousands of vehicles every month. In May, the company sold 11,095 units of its Model 3 sedan, making it the highest-selling electric car in the country.
The Giga Shanghai facility is producing around 4,000 Model 3 sedans a week according to the company’s Q1 2020 Earnings Update Letter. This figure is based on the company’s expected production volume of 200,000 vehicles annually at the site. Tesla plans to begin building the Model Y crossover in early 2021 after Phase 2A is completed.
Tesla has established a loyal following in China, and it seems that the company is focused on becoming more than just another carmaker. Not only is China a central focus of Tesla because of its status as the world’s largest auto market, but it is also a country with a rich history of art. Traditional Chinese art dates back to 10,000 BC and holds a design and aesthetic that is unique when compared to any other.
Building a “Chinese-style” vehicle that is designed by the citizens themselves could increase Tesla’s already impressive presence within the country. Not only can Tesla continue to ramp up its Model 3 and Model Y production in the country, but introducing a new vehicle that is exclusive to the Chinese market could bring even higher sales numbers than the company could have ever imagined.
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Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
Tesla plans to supply over 100 Megapack units to support a large stationary storage project in Japan, making it one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities.

Tesla’s Megapack grid-scale batteries have been selected to back an energy storage project in Japan, coming as the latest of the company’s continued deployment of the hardware.
As detailed in a report from Nikkei this week, Tesla plans to supply 142 Megapack units to support a 548 MWh storage project in Japan, set to become one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities. The project is being overseen by financial firm Orix, and it will be located at a facility Maibara in central Japan’s Shiga prefecture, and it aims to come online in early 2027.
The deal is just the latest of several Megapack deployments over the past few years, as the company continues to ramp production of the units. Tesla currently produces the Megapack at a facility in Lathrop, California, though the company also recently completed construction on its second so-called “Megafactory” in Shanghai China and is expected to begin production in the coming weeks.
READ MORE ON TESLA MEGAPACKS: Tesla Megapacks help power battery supplier Panasonic’s Kyoto test site
Tesla’s production of the Megapack has been ramping up at the Lathrop facility since initially opening in 2022, and both this site and the Shanghai Megafactory are aiming to eventually reach a volume production of 10,000 Megapack units per year. The company surpassed its 10,000th Megapack unit produced at Lathrop in November.
During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call last week, CEO Elon Musk also said that the company is looking to construct a third Megafactory, though he did not disclose where.
Last year, Tesla Energy also had record deployments of its Megapack and Powerwall home batteries with a total of 31.4 GWh of energy products deployed for a 114-percent increase from 2023.
Other recently deployed or announced Megapack projects include a massive 600 MW/1,600 MWh facility in Melbourne, a 75 MW/300 MWh energy storage site in Belgium, and a 228 MW/912 MWh storage project in Chile, along with many others still.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla highlights the Megapack site replacing Hawaii’s last coal plant
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Elon Musk responds to Ontario canceling $100M Starlink deal amid tariff drama
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, opens new tab on February 3 that he was “ripping up” his province’s CA$100 million agreement with Starlink in response to the U.S. imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.

Elon Musk company SpaceX is set to lose a $100 million deal with the Canadian province of Ontario following a response to the Trump administration’s decision to apply 25 percent tariffs to the country.
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service launched by the Musk entity SpaceX, will lose a $100 million deal it had with Ontario, Premier Doug Ford announced today.
Starting today and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts.
Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. U.S.-based businesses will…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 3, 2025
Ford said on X today that Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts:
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy. Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.”
It is a blow to the citizens of the province more than anything, as the Starlink internet constellation has provided people in rural areas across the globe stable and reliable access for several years.
Musk responded in simple terms, stating, “Oh well.”
Oh well https://t.co/1jpMu55T6s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025
It seems Musk is less than enthused about the fact that Starlink is being eliminated from the province, but it does not seem like all that big of a blow either.
As previously mentioned, this impacts citizens more than Starlink itself, which has established itself as a main player in reliable internet access. Starlink has signed several contracts with various airlines and maritime companies.
It is also expanding to new territories across the globe on an almost daily basis.
With Mexico already working to avoid the tariff situation with the United States, it will be interesting to see if Canada does the same.
The two have shared a pleasant relationship, but President Trump is putting his foot down in terms of what comes across the border, which could impact Americans in the short term.