The Chinese government may support Tesla’s proposed local robotaxi trial but has no plans yet to approve the full rollout of the Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, China Daily reports, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Chinese government considers Tesla’s robotaxi testing
Tesla Chief Elon Musk reportedly proposed to launch “driverless taxis” in China during his trip to Beijing on April 28.
According to the report, Chinese government officials are considering approving the local testing and demonstration of the autonomous driving software through robotaxis. However, they have not yet authorized the widespread use of FSD features in the country.
Local officials reportedly told CEO Musk that they are welcome to launch robotaxi testing in the country, hoping the move will set a good example amid the rising trade tension between the US and China.
All that said, the imminent launch of FSD tests in China aligns with CEO Musk’s remarks during the Q1 2024 Earnings Call.
“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 — with the approval of the regulators, releasing it as a supervised autonomy system in any market that — where we can get regulatory approval for that, which we think includes China. So, yes, it’s — just like a human, you can go rent a car in a foreign country and you can drive pretty well.
Obviously, if you live in that country, you’ll drive better. And so, we’ll make the car drive better in these other countries with country-specific training. But it can drive quite well almost everywhere.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk
China welcomes foreign investments amid political tensions
The report indicated how the recently passed TikTok ban bill demonstrates the intensifying trade protectionism, while China continues to allow global industry players to trial their technologies for mutual benefits.
Despite these challenges, China remains open to global companies seeking to invest in the Chinese market.
In fact, the government’s support for the Musk-led company’s robotaxi testing illustrates its positive stance on foreign investments.
Imminent FSD launch in China
Tesla CEO Musk hinted on his X post on April 20 that the FSD’s launch in the Chinese market could transpire “soon.” Then, he had a surprise visit to China on April 28.
Recent reports suggested that he was seeking the government’s FSD approval. Tesla recently overcame a key barrier that has impeded it from rolling out its autonomous driving software in China. It basically partnered with local web services giant Baidu for mapping and navigation features.
The partnership will enable Tesla to launch its self-driving service using Baidu’s lane-level navigation and maps, according to the report sources.
Gaining the Chinese government’s support for the robotaxi testing would undoubtedly be a significant achievement for Tesla. However, it still needs to gain the crucial permit to collect and transmit the data necessary to train Tesla EVs on driver-assistance features before the full FSD rollout.
