Tesla FSD is getting closer and closer to entering China.
On April 29th, Baidu (09888. HK) saw a sharp rise in the afternoon, rising over 6% at one point. Sources have told Paper that Tesla will use the advanced assisted driving map provided by Baidu Maps for the Chinese version of FSD (Full Self Driving).
Tesla and Baidu officials declined to comment on the above news.
FSD China version beta video leaked
According to CCTV News, at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on the afternoon of April 28th. The President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Ren Hongbin, met with Musk to discuss topics such as future cooperation.
According to sources cited by some media, it is expected that Musk's visit will discuss licensing for the launch of FSD in China. Previously, on April 20th, Musk also responded to questions from netizens on social media, stating that Tesla FSD may soon enter China.
A source told the Paper reporter that every time Musk enters China, industry insiders analyze that FSD wants to enter China. In fact, prior to this, FSD did not have the conditions to enter China, but today, several obstacles have been cleared.
The above-mentioned individuals stated that in terms of data security, Tesla has gradually lifted the ban on parking and driving in various regions through national automotive data security requirements. This means that the most authoritative standards and requirements in China recognize Tesla's data security performance. Previously, Tesla established the Tesla Shanghai Data Center in 2021 to achieve localized data storage. In addition, Tesla has introduced third-party authoritative organizations to review the company's information security management system and has passed the security management system certification (ISO27001).
Surveying and mapping qualifications are also a necessary issue for intelligent connected vehicles to enter China. In this regard, Tesla has already established deep cooperation with Baidu Maps in China. A source told the Paper reporter, "Tesla will use the high auxiliary map provided by Baidu Maps for the Chinese version of FSD. Baidu Maps also announced a few days ago that lane level navigation will be launched globally in Tesla in May. Obviously, Tesla has completed the lane level map data required for FSD together with Baidu Maps."
Tesla has not responded to the above news.
From the pictures posted by netizens, it can be seen that the upcoming Baidu Maps Tesla lane level navigation interface is very similar to the recently updated US FSD interface, integrating lane level maps and visual perception information. It is expected to be implemented in the same OTA.
Netizen Reuters image: Baidu Maps lane level navigation Tesla version
It is reported that many car owners have received an internal test push for EAP (Enhanced Automatic Assisted Driving Trial Package), with a monthly price of 699 yuan. EAP has added functions such as intelligent machine summoning, automatic parking, and NOA to enhance assisted driving.
Tesla launched FSD four years ago, but it has yet to land in its second largest global market. For Tesla FSD, consumers in the Chinese market have been eagerly anticipating it. Tesla also urgently needs FSD as its "trump card" to attract more attention from Chinese consumers.
In the first quarter of this year, Tesla's revenue and net profit both declined, and its global delivery volume was significantly lower than Wall Street's expectations, reaching 386800 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 8.3% and a month on month decrease of 20.1%.
At the same time, the Beijing Auto Show is in full swing, with Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Huawei, and BYD shining brightly at the show. The rapid rise of these Chinese competitors has also brought enormous pressure to Tesla China.
Autonomous driving has become a reassuring pill that Musk handed to investors. Based on a large-scale driving range, self-developed computing platform, and huge computing power layout, Tesla's intelligent driving software FSD has entered the V12.3 stage. Tesla stated that fully autonomous driving is only "one step away" from reality, and once its large-scale commercial operation is implemented, it will become Tesla's profitable "cash cow".
On the other hand, as Tesla's second largest global market, China has a Tesla ownership of over 1.7 million vehicles. The driving data of these 1.7 million vehicles is also very valuable for Tesla.
According to research reports from multiple institutions, if FSD successfully enters the Chinese market, it will become a strong competitor to autonomous driving solutions for local Chinese car companies and is expected to once again become a "catfish" in the domestic autonomous driving industry.