Tesla’s Musk Dials Into Volkswagen Executive Conference

Herbert Diess, CEO of German carmaker Volkswagen AG, poses in an ID.3 pre-production prototype during the presentation of Volkswagen's new electric car on the eve of the International Frankfurt Motor Show IAA in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sept. 9, 2019. Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

FRANKFURT—Tesla boss Elon Musk has addressed 200 Volkswagen executives via a video call after an invitation from the German carmaker’s CEO Herbert Diess, who wants to galvanise VW’s top brass for a faster pivot to electric vehicles.

The comments on Thursday by Musk to a VW managers gathering in Alpbach, Austria, confirmed by Diess via Twitter on Saturday after a report in Handelsblatt daily, included praise of VW for being an “icon” and Tesla’s greatest challenger, Handelsblatt said.