Tesla Robotaxis Hitting China's Streets Soon? EV Giant Reportedly Welcomed To Do Some Trials But No Full FSD Rollout Yet

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk reportedly proposed testing its full self-driving (FSD) driver assistance software on roads in China by deploying them in robotaxis during his recent visit to the country. And he seems to have found favor with the authorities, albeit in limited measure.

What Happened: The Chinese government told the billionaire CEO that it “welcomes Tesla to do some robotaxi tests in the country,” China Daily reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The authorities, however, did not approve the widespread use of FSD functions, as per the report.

Why It Matters: Musk visited China in late April and met Chinese Premier Li Qiang. During his visit, it was reported that Tesla had partnered with Beijing-based internet company Baidu Inc. for lane-level mapping and navigation data for China.

Two of its vehicles were deemed in compliance with China's data security requirements by a Chinese auto association, marking a significant stride towards the deployment of its full self-driving (FSD) driver assistance software in the world's largest EV market.

The company now reportedly seeks permission to transfer driving data from China overseas to the U.S. to train its FSD software. However, this issue was not discussed in detail during Musk’s brief visit to the country, the report said.

Tesla FSD: Tesla’s FSD is a driver assistance software that it believes will enable vehicle autonomy in due time. Currently, however, it requires active driver supervision.

Musk said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call last month that Tesla intends to deploy its FSD in all markets where it can get regulatory approval, including China.

“We'll make the car drive better in these other countries with country-specific training. But it can drive quite well almost everywhere,” Musk said about the software.

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