Tesla is gearing up to introduce its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in China, with plans to register the technology with Chinese authorities.
As per Reuters, this move comes as the U.S. electric vehicle giant seeks to expand its offerings in its second-largest market.
Once registered with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Tesla will conduct internal testing of FSD on public roads in China before making it available as an upgrade to its Chinese customers.
The company currently offers less-advanced versions of its Autopilot driver assistance system in the country.
Tesla presently provides its vehicle owners with access to FSD software for a single payment of 64,000 yuan ($8,828.32).
However, there are discussions suggesting that Tesla might introduce a monthly subscription option for the service, estimated to be around $98 in the future.
Furthermore, there are reports indicating that Tesla is exploring the option of licensing the FSD technology to other automakers in China, potentially expanding its reach within the industry.
Yale Zhang, the managing director at Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight, highlighted that Tesla's initiative to introduce FSD technology in China would "pressure other EV startups to accelerate their research and development.”
While, Tesla joins a group of automakers and suppliers offering level-two autonomous driving capabilities in China, its end-to-end neural network approach to autonomous driving sets it apart.
This model, which prioritizes learning and human-like decision-making, is seen as a significant advantage for Tesla over its competitors.
Despite challenges from rivals in algorithm development, Tesla's extensive data collection and processing capabilities, including its Dojo supercomputer, give it a substantial lead in the autonomous driving race.
However, Tesla has not commented on the plans, and the sources requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the information.
