On August 21st, according to the Wall Street Journal, a source revealed that due to concerns about accidents caused by Tesla software in the United States and data security issues, the approval department has not yet approved Tesla's latest autonomous driving technology. If Tesla FSD (Full auto drive system) service is approved, it may be limited to a few cities such as Shanghai for trial implementation at the initial stage.
Regarding Tesla FSD, there are many unconfirmed speculations in the market and no information has been disclosed yet. Relevant progress will be shared through official channels in a timely manner, "said a reporter from the Daily Economic News who contacted Tesla China's relevant staff for verification
It is worth noting that on July 24th, during the second quarter earnings conference call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly stated that Tesla is expected to obtain FSD licenses in other markets, such as Europe and China, by the end of this year.
According to public data, Tesla's auto drive system is divided into two parts, including Full Automatic Drive (FSD) and Autopilot. The former provides the capability of fully autonomous driving, which can achieve functions such as high-speed navigation and urban road navigation; The latter provides assisted driving functions aimed at improving driving safety and reducing stress. Tesla officials said that these two auto drive system are currently unable to drive by themselves and need the driver to take over control at any time.
At present, Tesla FSD has entered the V12.5 stage. The new version, through end-to-end technology, can achieve more natural lane changing and urban intelligent driving, and enhance the visual monitoring function of drivers wearing sunglasses, as well as functions such as no need to manually turn the steering wheel or step on the accelerator on city streets.
But according to a Reuters report on July 31, authorities in Washington state have confirmed that the Tesla car that killed a motorcyclist near Seattle in April this year was operating in FSD mode at the time of the accident. The driver involved in the accident admitted that he was distracted while driving in FSD mode and used his phone, believing that the vehicle could drive autonomously.
In the Chinese market, there have been constant reports this year that Tesla FSD is about to enter China. In June of this year, some media reported that the Shanghai Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone had issued road test licenses to Tesla, and FSD may be undergoing testing; In July of this year, during the Q2 earnings conference call, the news that FSD was about to land in China was confirmed by Musk.
Industry analysis suggests that Tesla is accelerating the entry of FSD into China, possibly to further boost its sales. According to relevant data, Tesla's revenue in China accounted for 20% of its global revenue in the first half of this year, slightly lower than the same period in 2023 (22.7%). According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Tesla's market share in the Chinese new energy vehicle market (including all electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles) decreased to 6.8% in the first half of 2024, lower than the 9.5% in the same period last year.
The entry of Tesla FSD into the Chinese market has triggered a catfish effect, posing both challenges and incentives for domestic autonomous driving. In the long run, this is a great opportunity to enhance domestic autonomous driving capabilities, "said Du Qiang, President and CEO of Neusoft Ruichi, in an interview with reporters.