Renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk is currently in Beijing, China, to engage in discussions regarding the implementation of autonomous driving mode on Tesla cars in the country.
Reports from various media outlets indicate that Musk is keen on enabling Full Self Driving (FSD) functionality in China and transferring the data collected within the country to train Tesla’s algorithms.
While FSD is already available in several countries, including the United States, it has not yet been introduced in China. This move by Musk comes on the heels of a US report linking Tesla’s autonomous driving modes to at least 13 crashes, one of which resulted in a fatality.
China stands as Tesla’s second-largest market, with other automakers such as Xpeng, based in Guangzhou, endeavoring to rival Tesla by incorporating similar self-driving capabilities in their vehicles.
To address concerns and comply with local regulations, Tesla has established a data center in Shanghai to manage and process Chinese consumer data.
The visit to China coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation into whether a previous recall effectively addressed safety issues related to Tesla’s driver assistance system.
The agency noted that drivers involved in the crashes were found to be inadequately engaged, despite the requirement to remain attentive and ready to assume control when using autonomous driving features.
While Musk has made ambitious promises regarding Tesla’s autonomous capabilities, including the operation of “robotaxis,” critics have accused him of exaggerating the potential of full autonomy to bolster the company’s stock price.
Tesla’s profits have declined significantly in recent months, with its stock value plummeting by 43% this year amid challenges like waning global demand for electric vehicles and increased competition from more affordable Chinese manufacturers.
Despite these obstacles, Musk remains optimistic about Tesla’s future and has pledged to unveil the company’s robotaxi later this year.
As the automotive industry continues to evolve, Tesla’s endeavors in the autonomous driving space will undoubtedly shape the sector’s trajectory in the years to come.
