Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system has reportedly received tentative approval in China, marking a significant milestone for the electric vehicle maker. The news comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in China during the ongoing Beijing Auto Show, where he is expected to make further announcements regarding the company’s plans in the country.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese officials have indicated that Beijing has tentatively approved Tesla’s FSD plans, clearing several critical regulatory hurdles that have delayed its release in China. One of the key hurdles was related to Tesla’s mapping and navigation functions in the country, which the company has reportedly resolved through a partnership with Chinese tech giant Baidu.
$TSLA wins preliminary approval from Chinese officials to roll out FSD in China by partnering with $BIDU. pic.twitter.com/1rX6VocALu
— Gary Black (@garyblack00) April 29, 2024
The collaboration with Baidu is said to address concerns about data-security risks associated with FSD, paving the way for its release in China. Baidu, known for its expertise in AI and autonomous driving technology, recently announced a partnership with Hyundai to develop car connectivity solutions, further highlighting its commitment to advancing autonomous driving capabilities.
During Tesla’s Q1 2024 earnings call, Musk mentioned plans to release FSD (Supervised) in other countries, indicating that regulatory approval would not be a significant barrier. He emphasized the system’s capability to adapt to different markets with country-specific training, likening it to human driving abilities in foreign countries.
Elon Musk elaborated on Tesla’s approach to releasing FSD globally, stating, “So, think about the end-to-end neural net-based autonomy is that just like a human, it actually works pretty well without modification in almost any market. So, we plan on ā with the approval of the regulators, releasing it as a supervised autonomy system in any market that ā where we can get regulatory approval for that, which we think includes China.”
Musk’s visit to China also coincides with meetings with key industry figures, including the chairman of China’s top battery supplier, CATL, Robin Zeng. These meetings underscore Tesla’s commitment to expanding its presence in China and furthering its advancements in autonomous driving technology.