Tesla announced on Thursday that its 'Full Self-Driving' (FSD) capabilities are now available for its electric vehicles sold in China, marking the first time the automaker has confirmed the availability of this technology in the country after years of regulatory delays [1]. The announcement was made on X, which is also owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and listed China as one of ten markets where the FSD (Supervised) system is now available [1].
Prior to this launch, Tesla customers in China could only access the company's Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot systems, with only select users having access to limited versions of FSD as the automaker awaited regulatory approval [1]. According to Tesla's China website, the 'intelligent assisted driving' feature is available on the Model 3 sedan for a one-time fee of 64,000 Chinese yuan ($9,409) [1].
The launch follows a week after Musk, along with a U.S. delegation of business executives, joined U.S. President Donald Trump for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing [1]. Over the past years, Musk had repeatedly indicated plans to bring FSD to China, with initial expectations for regulatory approval by the end of 2024, but these plans were delayed multiple times, with the company still awaiting approval as recently as April 2025 [1].
During the period Tesla awaited regulatory approval, Chinese EV competitors such as Xiaomi and Xpeng, as well as robotaxi firms like Pony.ai and Baidu's Apollo Go, advanced their own autonomous driving technologies [1]. In April, Tesla China ranked fourth in electric vehicle sales in the country, behind BYD, Geely, and Chery, according to the China Passenger Car Association [1].
Market speculation about Tesla's FSD approval in China increased recently, with Bloomberg reporting a hiring push for autonomous driving roles in the country [1]. A Tesla China representative declined to comment on the launch, and China's embassy in Singapore did not immediately respond [1].
CONCLUSION
Tesla's launch of Full Self-Driving in China marks a significant milestone after years of regulatory hurdles and positions the company to better compete with local EV and autonomous driving leaders. The move is likely to have a substantial impact on Tesla's market position in China, the world's largest EV market, as it seeks to close the gap with domestic rivals who have already rolled out advanced self-driving technologies.