Elon Musk’s recent whirlwind trip to Beijing ended on Monday as the Tesla CEO pushed for China’s approval to roll out Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. The visit also sought permission to transfer driving data overseas, a move that could boost Tesla’s revenues amidst increasing competition from Chinese rivals.
While the exact discussions with Chinese Premier Li Qiang remain undisclosed, Tesla received a key endorsement for its Model 3 and Y cars’ compliance with China’s data security requirements. Additionally, sources indicated that Tesla had reached an agreement with Baidu to use its mapping license for data collection on China’s public roads, a crucial step towards introducing FSD in the country. Musk’s visit underscores the ongoing efforts to navigate data security and regulatory compliance for Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance systems in its second-largest global market.