Elon Musk is in Beijing with plans to discuss the implementation of autonomous driving mode on Tesla cars specifically tailored for the Chinese market. Reports indicate that Musk aims to enable Full Self Driving (FSD) capabilities in China and utilize data collected within the country to train Tesla’s algorithms.

FSD is already available in countries like the US but has not yet been introduced in China. The visit follows a US report linking Tesla’s autonomous driving modes to 13 crashes, one of which resulted in a fatality.

During a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Musk expressed Tesla’s willingness to deepen cooperation with China to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Premier Li reassured Musk that the Chinese market remains open to foreign-funded firms.

China stands as Tesla’s second-largest market, and competitors like Xpeng are striving to rival Tesla’s self-driving features. Musk acknowledged Chinese car manufacturers as “the most competitive car companies in the world.”

In previous efforts to reassure Chinese authorities, Tesla established a data center in Shanghai to handle Chinese consumer data in compliance with local regulations.

This visit coincides with an investigation by the US’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into Tesla’s driver assistance system’s safety concerns.

Despite setbacks, Musk remains committed to Tesla’s autonomous driving vision, promising the introduction of robotaxis. Critics allege Musk of overhyping autonomous driving capabilities, a claim he denies.

The visit underscores Tesla’s efforts to navigate regulatory hurdles and advance its autonomous driving technology in one of its key markets.

Source: BBC News