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Elon Musk Makes Surprise Visit to China for Tesla's Self-Driving Technology Rollout
Elon Musk made an unannounced visit to China to discuss the rollout of Tesla's Full Self-Driving software and data transfer. Premier Li Qiang praised Tesla's development in China as a successful example of U.S.-China economic cooperation.Tesla has not yet made its FSD software available in China, despite strong customer demand.
In 2018, Tesla reached an agreement with Chinese authorities to build its first plant outside the United States in Shanghai. Despite strong demand from customers, Tesla has yet to make its FSD software available in China, its second-largest market globally. However, Musk recently hinted that FSD may be made available to Chinese customers "very soon."
The surprise visit by Musk has been seen as a significant moment for Tesla by equity analysts at Wedbush. They believe that making FSD available in China is a crucial piece of the puzzle for Tesla's long-term valuation and autonomous driving ambitions. Chinese automakers like Xpeng have been trying to gain an advantage over Tesla by introducing similar software.
Since 2021, Tesla has stored all data collected by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai, as required by Chinese regulators. Musk is now seeking approval to transfer this data abroad to train algorithms for Tesla's autonomous driving technologies.
Musk's visit to China was not publicly announced, and the person who disclosed the information spoke on condition of anonymity. Tesla has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Musk's visit.
During his visit, Musk also met with Ren Hongbin, a government official who heads the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Musk expressed his enthusiasm for the progress of electric vehicles in China, stating that he believes all cars will be electric in the future.
In a separate development, a top Chinese auto association published a list of 76 car models, including Tesla's Model Y and Model 3, that it found to be compliant with China's data security requirements.
Musk's visit to China comes shortly after he canceled a planned visit to India due to "very heavy Tesla obligations." The company recently announced a 10% reduction in its global workforce as it faces falling sales and increased competition in the EV market.
As Tesla continues to navigate challenges and expand its presence in China, Musk remains optimistic about the future. He has stated that Tesla will introduce new, more affordable models and unveil a "robotaxi" with self-driving technology on August 8th.
Elon Musk made an unannounced visit to China to discuss the rollout of Tesla's Full Self-Driving software and data transfer.
Premier Li Qiang praised Tesla's development in China as a successful example of U.S.-China economic cooperation.
Tesla has not yet made its FSD software available in China, despite strong customer demand.
Source: REUTERS