(Yicai) Jan. 19 -- Tesla will make special efforts to integrate China’s unique consumer needs into product design, according to the head of design at the US electric carmaker.

Tesla spends time and energy listening to the demands of different markets, integrating local needs into product design, and ensuring that the products are safe and good-looking from the perspective of design and engineering, Franz von Holzhausen said, according to a report by Shanghai Securities News today.

This is also the reason why the design, engineering, and manufacturing teams are rooted in China, von Holzhausen added. In this process, many considerations and balances need to be made to ensure the safety and basic quality of the vehicles, he said.

Demand in the Chinese market is changing, and California-based Tesla strives to meet local needs in China, Europe, and other markets to achieve good sales, von Holzhausen said.

Tesla's future car designs will first adhere to safety, efficiency, simplicity, and user experience, von Holzhausen said, adding that even though Tesla insists on minimalism, it also prioritizes driving safety. Tesla's autopilot makes driving almost nine times safer than average in the United States, per a report released by the firm in 2022.

Tesla has an EV production plant in Shanghai, which began making cars in 2019, and plans to build a design studio in Beijing.

Editor: Emmi Laine