Tesla stated on Monday that it will launch its Full Self-Driving (FSD) trial in China after completing regulatory approval, following reports that the limited-time free trial had been temporarily paused.
“All parties are actively advancing the relevant process and we will push it to you as soon as it is ready. We are also looking forward to it, please wait patiently,” Tesla’s customer support said in a statement on Weibo, responding to concerns about the delay.
See also: Tesla China Developing Lower-Priced Model Y to Address Market Competition
The comment appeared under a post from Tesla Vice President Grace Tao’s Weibo account. The company had previously announced plans to offer a free FSD trial in China from March 17 to April 16.
FSD is a suite of advanced driver-assistance features incorporating generative artificial intelligence to handle complex traffic conditions. Tesla has been working with Chinese tech giant Baidu to enhance the system’s performance.
See also: Tesla Warns U.S. Government of Export Risks from Planned Auto Tariffs
While Tesla has offered similar trials in the United States, where its FSD system operates without requiring highly accurate navigation maps, the situation in China is different. The company has been unable to train its system using data from its fleet of two million vehicles in the country due to strict data security regulations.
In February, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced new rules mandating regulatory approval for autonomous driving-related over-the-air software updates, further complicating Tesla’s FSD deployment.
See also: J.P. Morgan Cuts Tesla Price Target Amid Declining Deliveries, Customer Backlash
Tesla has set a goal of rolling out FSD more broadly this year, but the timing of its China launch remains uncertain pending regulatory clearance.