Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Tesla is preparing to register its ‘Full Self-Driving’ software with authorities in China as the launch of the software in the country gets closer.
The company is expected to offer the feature as a monthly subscription later this year in some cities of the country, Reuters reported citing three individuals familiar with the matter.
In late April, Tesla China said it was “difficult to say” when the the technology would be released in the country adding that it “could launch quickly in the not-too-distant future.”
In the same statement, they also confirmed that Tesla usage restrictions are being lifted in various areas of the country.
Earlier this week, Tesla employees in China have noticed a new message on their vehicles following the recent “Spring update” to Tesla’s operating system version 12.
The update has caused “some” employees’ cars to display the phrase “Employee FSD Beta Program: Registered,” according to Tesla blogger Chris Zheng on X.
Despite the message, no new features have been enabled in their vehicles as the update appears to be a preliminary step in the FSD rollout for employees in China.
In North America, the company has now released the FSD (Supervised) v12.4 to employees which includes the removal of the steering wheel nag under certain conditions.
The development is seen as Tesla‘s ongoing efforts to expand full self driving capabilities to other markets, using its employee base for early testing and feedback, particularly in key markets like China.
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Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Shanghai compiled a list of data that can be transferred overseas without security assessments, citing a government document.
Foreign firms, including financial institutions and automakers such as Elon Musk’s Tesla, have been lobbying Chinese authorities to allow cross-border sharing of information after Beijing tightened control of data generated domestically in a national security drive.
The 2022 rules require all “important” offshore transfer of data related to operations within the country to clear security reviews by the Cyberspace Administration of China.
On the social media platform X, user Chris Zheng shared a picture of a Tesla screen of an employee in China displaying “Employee FSD Beta Program: Registered.”
“I can confirm that since the spring update (Tesla OS v12), some Tesla China employees’ cars have had the words ‘Employee FSD Beta Program: Registered’ on them, but no features can be enabled,” he wrote.
Baidu has recently announced that Tesla vehicles in China will integrate Baidu Maps V.20 from May, which features 3D lane-level navigation capability directly integrated into vehicles.
This collaboration extends to include partnerships with Huawei and electric vehicle startup JiYue, as revealed by Baidu Vice President Shang Guobin.
On April 20, Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla may soon offer full self-driving software to customers in China, stating “It may be possible very soon.”
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
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The post Tesla Speeds Up Launch Full Self Driving in China Planned for Later This Year, Report first appeared on EV.