In a highly anticipated visit, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, arrived in China to meet with government officials, igniting rumors about the potential release of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta in the country and the unveiling of a new version of the Model 3.
Musk’s private jet touched down in Beijing this morning, where he had a scheduled meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. The primary focus of the CEO’s visit was reportedly to emphasize the significance of maintaining a strong relationship between the United States and China.
According to undisclosed sources cited by Bloomberg, Musk is also expected to pay a visit to Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai and potentially meet with Premier Li Qiang. It is believed that Musk intends to discuss the introduction of automated-driving technology that Tesla aims to bring to the Chinese market.
The timing of Musk’s visit coincides with the anticipation surrounding the commencement of production for a new iteration of the Model 3 at the Shanghai factory. This has fueled speculation that Tesla might leverage the visit as an opportunity to launch the new version of the popular electric vehicle.
Moreover, the prospect of Musk engaging in discussions about automated driving technology with Premier Li has raised hopes among enthusiasts and industry observers. There is a growing belief that Tesla might be seeking regulatory approval to introduce its FSD Beta in China—a move that could pave the way for a significant expansion of Tesla’s revenue stream. With hundreds of thousands of Tesla vehicles already delivered in China, the potential to upgrade these vehicles to the FSD Beta could result in a substantial boost to the company’s earnings.
China has emerged as Tesla’s largest market, but navigating through regulatory challenges has proven to be a hurdle for the automaker, especially concerning the release of driver-assist features under Autopilot and FSD. Consequently, the anticipation surrounding the possible launch of the FSD Beta in China is marked by both excitement and optimism within the industry.
As Elon Musk engages in discussions with high-ranking Chinese officials and visits Tesla’s Shanghai factory, the outcome of his visit holds the potential to shape the future of Tesla’s operations in China, open new avenues for automated-driving technology, and impact the electric vehicle landscape in the world’s largest automotive market.
