Elon Musk’s surprise visit to Beijing on Sunday has sparked speculation that Tesla is planning to introduce Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in the Chinese market. According to Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, the CEO of the electric car maker is expected to meet with government officials to discuss this and seek permission to transfer data outside of China.
Premier Li Qiang praised Tesla’s growth in China as a successful example of economic and trade cooperation with the United States, according to Chinese state media. This highlights Tesla’s continued commitment to expanding its presence in the Chinese market.
If FSD is introduced in China, it will be a significant move for Tesla as it competes with local electric car manufacturers. Although Tesla introduced its most autonomous version of Autopilot technology four years ago, it has yet to bring it to China. However, Elon Musk recently indicated on social media that FSD may come to China “very soon.”
To comply with Chinese regulations, Tesla has kept data collected in China on servers in Beijing since 2021 and has not sent it to the United States. Transferring data from China is crucial for training Tesla’s algorithms for self-driving. If allowed, this could help further develop technology for autonomous driving and expand Tesla’s presence in the Chinese market.
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