Tesla is about to register its advanced driver assistance software, known as “Fully Self-Driving” (FSD), with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, according to people familiar with the matter. This is the first step that could see employees test the system before it is eventually rolled out to customers in Tesla’s second-largest global market.
The news comes after CEO Elon Musk visited China last month, during which government officials lifted restrictions on the use of Tesla cars and the company signed a contract to collect map data. FSD currently costs $99 per month in the United States, plus $8,000 for a one-time activation, but Reuters sources said it could cost a similar monthly subscription in China. Tesla will also face competition from Chinese automakers such as BYD, Nio and Xpeng, which have already rolled out advanced driver assistance systems in the country.
Tesla’s FSD system, currently available in China, is a less-powerful version of the software similar to the company’s Autopilot system, which can assist with steering but does not navigate city streets automatically. In the U.S., a report released by the NHTSA in April said FSD and Autopilot have been linked to hundreds of accidents and dozens of deaths.
Tesla has also yet to roll out FSD in Europe. As we wrote in 2022, “To obtain that approval, Tesla must convincingly demonstrate that cars with FSD are at least as safe as those without it. At least so far, it hasn’t.”