The car manufacturer Tesla has in China got a release for the latest version of automated driving FSD (Full Self-Driving). CEO Elon Musk (52) traveled to Beijing at the weekend, where he met with Prime Minister Li Qiang (64). According to insiders, the green light for FSD was a central issue.
On Sunday, the Chinese automobile association CAAM added the Tesla Models 3 and Y to the list of approved cars with self-driving mode. On Monday, Tesla agreed to a license to use navigation data with Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, according to two insiders.
Musk also had time to meet with the head of the Chinese battery giant CATL, Robin Zeng (56), before his plane headed back USA took off. Several people observed Zeng’s visit to Musk in the hotel, but CATL did not comment on it. Tesla also did not comment on the company boss’s surprise visit, which was not publicly announced and could only be found out through those in the know and the flight tracking app Flight Manager.
Musk’s turbulent visit to China came just over a week after a planned trip was canceled India where he wanted to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (73). He justified the cancellation with “very difficult Tesla obligations”.
Musk said on social media platform X this month that Tesla could make FSD available to customers in China “very soon.”
Tesla’s competitors welcome the move
The negotiations over the FSD software were about permission to transfer driving data abroad. According to the CAAM association, Tesla models now meet China’s data security requirements. So far, Tesla has not been able to offer the software, which has been available for four years, despite high demand in China.
Chinese regulators had required Tesla to store all data collected from its Chinese fleet in Shanghai since 2021, preventing the company from transferring data to the United States. According to insiders, this is necessary in order to train algorithms for autonomous driving technologies. China’s complicated traffic conditions, with more pedestrians and cyclists than many other markets, present more scenarios that require training autonomous driving algorithms at a faster pace, industry experts said.
Rival Chinese automakers and suppliers such as Xpeng and Huawei Technologies tried to gain an advantage over Tesla by introducing similar software. Stock analysts at Wedbush described the surprise visit as “an important moment for Tesla.”
Tesla competitor Xpeng now welcomed the permission for Tesla. “Only when more good products and technologies come to market can the experience of the entire market and customers be improved, and this will accelerate the development of the market in a healthy way,” said Xpeng boss He Xiaopeng (46).
China has relaxed its course of complete digital isolation. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (54) was also able to sign a declaration of intent on cooperation in autonomous driving during a recent visit to Beijing. At the end of 2023, Mercedes-Benz was one of the first car manufacturers to receive approval to test the automated driving functions of its “Drive Pilot” on public roads in Beijing.