Elon Musk expressed optimism at the World Economic Forum in Davos about imminent approval for Tesla's Full Self-Driving system in China. However, a Chinese government source has contradicted this, stating that claims of rapid clearance are inaccurate. Tesla continues to expand its driver-assistance features in its key market amid stiff local competition.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk reiterated his expectation that China would soon approve the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. He suggested that approval could arrive as early as next month, echoing a timeline he had mentioned the previous year. Musk also noted that Tesla aims to obtain supervised FSD approval in Europe first, with China to follow on a comparable schedule.
This optimistic outlook has met resistance from official channels in China. According to state-run China Daily, citing a government source, narratives suggesting imminent approval are "not true." The source offered no alternative timeline or further details on the regulatory review process.
Currently, Tesla offers a basic driver-assistance system in China, which falls short of the full capabilities available in the U.S. version of FSD. In a recent step forward, on February 25, 2025, the company introduced advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) features in China that mirror aspects of its U.S. FSD offering. Notably, Tesla refrained from branding it as FSD, and several key functions remain unavailable.
Tesla persists in advocating for wider deployment of its advanced features in China, its second-largest market. The company operates in a highly competitive landscape, where domestic firms are swiftly developing rival autonomous driving technologies. Regulatory hurdles persist, delaying full clearance for Tesla's ambitions.
