Tesla FSD officially enters China, in the era of "smart driving equality," with a price as high as 64,000. What are the odds of success?

Tesla FSD officially enters China, igniting a full-scale war in the competition for intelligent driving in China.

On February 25, Tesla announced the launch of the city road Autopilot automatic driving assistance feature, marking the official entry of the highly anticipated Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature into the Chinese market, with Tesla updating the software for Chinese customers in batches.

It is worth mentioning that this version of Tesla FSD in China includes features such as traffic signal recognition, navigation assistance, and intelligent lane changing. Additionally, the cameras can also recognize the driver's attention level; the above feature descriptions are all advanced functions of FSD.

In terms of pricing, compared to domestic offers of smart driving with car purchases, Tesla's FSD requires an additional payment. Tesla adopts a one-time purchase pricing model in the Chinese market, with the subscription price for FSD features set at 64,000 RMB. It is important to note that this update is only available to owners who have purchased the FSD feature, while users who have purchased the enhanced Autopilot assistance system cannot use the new features for the time being.

Four Core Functions Mark the Official Entry of FSD into China

According to the introduction, the version of Tesla FSD in China mainly includes the following four core functions:

Navigation Assistance: Guides the vehicle to exit ramps and navigate intersections based on the navigation route on controlled roads and city roads.

Traffic Signal Recognition: Recognizes traffic lights at intersections and executes actions such as going straight, turning left, turning right, and making U-turns.

Intelligent Lane Change: Automatically performs lane change operations based on driving speed and route.

Autonomous Path Selection: When no navigation route is set, the system selects the optimal driving path based on actual road conditions.

According to reports, Tesla officially categorizes its driver assistance software products into two types: Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. The former has already been launched in the Chinese market, while the latter corresponds to the higher-level intelligent driving functions of FSD, and the above feature descriptions are all advanced functions of FSD. For many years, Elon Musk has been seeking regulatory approval for FSD to operate on Chinese roads.

It is noteworthy that some media reported that Tesla's customer service stated that this software update differs from the FSD feature in the United States and does not achieve fully autonomous driving. Tesla is currently conducting further technical testing and verification, and will continuously optimize and upgrade the intelligent driving assistance features in China in the future.

Igniting a Full-Scale War in China's Intelligent Driving Competition

As driving assistance technology becomes increasingly common in China, the official entry of Tesla FSD also adds fuel to the competition in intelligent driving in China.

Domestic brands such as BYD and XPeng have already launched their own advanced intelligent driving systems, such as BYD's "Eye of God" and XPeng's planned L3-level autonomous driving. Tesla's entry will further stimulate technological innovation and push the entire industry towards higher levels of autonomous drivingChinese smart driving car companies have launched a price war, with BYD's "Heavenly Eye" system being introduced to bring high-level intelligent driving down to models priced at 70,000 yuan (such as the Seagull). Changan Automobile stated that this year it will introduce lidar technology to models priced at 100,000 yuan.

In contrast, Tesla's FSD is priced at 64,000 yuan, only covering high-end users. Tesla targets users with high brand loyalty and strong willingness to pay, while companies like BYD are seizing the mass market mindset by offering it as standard across their entire lineup.

Overall, Tesla's FSD has ignited a full-scale war in China's smart driving competition, and intelligence may accelerate its penetration. Horizon founder Richard Yu predicts that 2025 will be the turning point for the popularization of intelligent driving, and the next three years will enter the "hands-free driving" era. BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu also stated that in 2025, purchasing a car will depend on intelligent driving, and in the next 2-3 years, intelligent driving will become an essential feature