Tesla’s autonomous driving roll-out in China could face delays as regulators assess tech

Tesla has Chinese government support to trial some self-driving features, state media reported, but no full self-driving systems have been approved yet

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A Tesla Model 3 using the full self-driving autopilot feature on a highway in California on October 12. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:00pm, 18 Oct 2024

Tesla’s plan to roll out its advanced driver-assistance package in China could face delays because of issues around mapping and data security, according to local media.

Tesla has Chinese government support for trialling some self-driving features, but a launch is hindered by the fact that no full self-driving (FSD) systems have been approved for use in the country, state-owned newspaper China Daily reported on Friday, citing industry sources. Regulatory departments are still vetting issues around self-driving technologies, data security and compliance, according to the report.

The roadblock comes six months after Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in a discussion with the country’s top policymakers, sought consent to launch robotaxis in mainland China – its second-largest market after the US – to test Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance package. China is expected to approve the request to show its openness to foreign business.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

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Tesla AI, which oversees the development of its autonomous driving software, said in September on Musk’s X social media platform that it plans to roll out FSD in Europe and China during in the first quarter next year, pending regulatory approval.