Tesla sent engineers from its U.S. headquarters to China in early February to work on the local deployment of Full Self-Driving (FSD) and refine its algorithms, Chinese media outlet LatePost reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The initiative aims to enhance FSD’s functionality in China while ensuring data remains within the country. Once the U.S. engineers complete their work, Tesla’s local team will take over to further optimize the system for Chinese road conditions, the report said.
See also: Tesla Rolls Out Advanced Assisted Driving Features in China, Avoiding FSD Label
Tesla has been collecting training data from engineering vehicles on specific roads in China since last year. However, the current Chinese version of FSD remains less advanced than the U.S. V13 iteration due to limited local data integration, the report noted.
On Monday, Tesla began rolling out software update 2024.45.32.12 to eligible vehicles in China. The update enhances Navigate on Autopilot (NOA), allowing vehicles to navigate ramps and intersections based on route guidance, recognize traffic signals, and execute turns, according to Tesla’s changelog. While the update introduces features similar to FSD, Tesla has rebranded the software on its China website as “FSD intelligent assisted driving.”
See also: Tesla Prepares to Roll Out FSD Features for Chinese Customers
Tesla offers FSD in China for a one-time fee of RMB 64,000 ($8,810) and also provides Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) at half the price. The company has been conducting FSD trials with select employees in China and may expand testing in phases before seeking regulatory approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the report added.