Tesla has made significant advancements in Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in China, as evidenced by the latest update that includes the FSD button in the vehicle’s user interface. Despite no mention of this change in the release notes, it seems to be exclusive to the Chinese region at the moment.
FSD Integration in the UI
Prior to the 2024.26.9 update, Chinese Tesla users could choose between Traffic-Aware Cruise Control or Auto Steer (Beta) in the Autopilot settings. However, with the latest update, the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) button now appears, albeit greyed out. While tapping on the option currently has no effect, its presence suggests that Tesla may be gearing up to activate the feature soon.
Beneath the Autopilot selection, Tesla includes a message stating, “Full Self-Driving (Supervised) needs to use an updated version of navigation maps. Connect to Wi-Fi to download” (Credit to Luis Zhu). The greyed-out status of the option may indicate that the software requires updated maps to function properly. There have been no reports yet on the outcome of downloading the navigation map.
Previously, there were indications that FSD development was on hold in China, even after Tesla obtained approval to begin FSD testing in the country. This back-and-forth could be attributed to regulatory issues surrounding data collection and storage agreements between China and Tesla. With the FSD button now visible in the UI, it appears that Tesla is confident in either having received approval or expecting it shortly.
It seems likely that Tesla will soon roll out FSD in China. It will be interesting to see if Tesla implements the Safety Score feature, used in the U.S., to select drivers for beta testing the program.
Elon Musk had previously indicated that FSD (Supervised) would expand to international markets, including Europe and China, pending government approvals in those countries.