Report: The smart driving battle escalates! Tesla's "Full Self-Driving Feature" is about to land in China
According to reports, Tesla plans to launch a feature similar to the "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) functionality in the U.S. market in China, which means that Tesla owners in China who have purchased FSD will soon be able to use this driver-assistance feature on city roads, although drivers will still need to maintain continuous supervision of the vehicle. The feature will be gradually rolled out on certain models and will be available to users who have purchased the FSD functionality. After the news was released, Tesla's stock price initially rose by more than 1%, but after 15 minutes of trading, U.S. tech stocks fell, and Tesla's stock also dropped nearly 4% at one point
On February 24th, Monday, Eastern Time, Jiemian News cited Bloomberg reporting that Tesla is preparing a software update for Chinese customers to provide driving assistance features similar to the "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) available in the U.S. market. This feature will be rolled out on certain models and gradually expanded.
Insiders revealed that Tesla plans to launch this software update in the near future. This update will allow Tesla owners to use driving assistance features on urban roads. The system will be able to guide the vehicle onto exit ramps and through intersections, recognize traffic signals, complete turning maneuvers, and handle tasks such as lane changes and speed adjustments. The introduction of this feature will further enhance the automation level of Tesla vehicles, reducing the need for driver intervention.
This new feature will be available to those who have paid 64,000 yuan (approximately $8,800) for what Tesla calls the FSD feature. Although this upgrade is referred to as "Full Self-Driving," users will still need to maintain continuous supervision of the vehicle and intervene when necessary to ensure driving safety. Additionally, insiders did not disclose further details, such as how many customers Tesla has who have paid for FSD.
As early as last April, a Tesla owner in China asked Musk on social media platform X, "I look forward to Tesla FSD entering China soon, when will it be realized?" In response, Musk replied, "It may happen very soon."
On September 5th last year, Tesla officially stated on social media that Tesla plans to launch FSD in China and Europe in the first quarter of 2025, but it still awaits approval from regulatory authorities. This was one of Tesla's few clear responses to the rumors about FSD entering China over the past year.
Intelligent Driving Battle
It is worth noting that assisted driving technology is becoming increasingly popular in the Chinese market.
Jiemian News previously reported that BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, officially launched its advanced intelligent driving system "God's Eye" on February 10th. At the same time, BYD announced that the "God's Eye" intelligent driving system will cover its entire range of models, with the first batch of 21 models launched, covering price ranges from 70,000 to 200,000 yuan, greatly exceeding market expectations.
On the same day, XPeng founder He Xiaopeng stated that the company plans to launch L3-level autonomous driving later this year. Level 3 autonomous driving allows drivers to not closely monitor road conditions under specific conditions (such as specific roads, speeds, and times). In contrast, although called "Full Self-Driving," Tesla's FSD is still a Level 2 assisted driving system. He Xiaopeng also stated last June that he looks forward to Tesla FSD entering China, and that XPeng's XNGP human-vehicle interaction is better and more natural than Tesla's
After the news was released, Tesla's stock price initially rose by more than 1%. However, 15 minutes after the market opened, U.S. tech stocks fell collectively, and Tesla also dropped nearly 4% at one point, with a cumulative decline of over 15% so far this year.
