Elon Musk has been working to gain approval from Chinese regulators for FSD, facing challenges such as a lack of training data. Tesla is considering building a local data center in China to address this issue. The delays have impacted Tesla's competitiveness against local EV makers like BYD and Xiaomi, which offer advanced driver-assist features. Tesla plans to launch FSD in China and Europe by the first quarter of 2025, though it has yet to receive regulatory approval in Europe. The company's approach to autonomy has faced criticism for lacking redundant sensors and lagging behind competitors like Waymo.
Key takeaways:
- Tesla is introducing a software update in China called "Urban Road Autopilot Assistance" (URAA), which is similar to its Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in North America but reportedly less capable due to insufficient data training on Chinese roads.
- The update is being rolled out in batches and is available only to vehicles with "HW 4.0," including most Model Y and Model 3 vehicles built in China last year.
- Elon Musk has faced challenges in gaining regulatory approval for FSD in China, partly due to a lack of usable training data, and is considering building a local data center to process data.
- Tesla's delays in deploying FSD in China have impacted its competitiveness against local EV makers like BYD and Xiaomi, which offer advanced driver assist features at competitive prices.