Elon MuskCEO of Tesla, arrived in Beijing on Sunday on an unannounced visit, where he is expected to meet with high-ranking officials to discuss the deployment of the Full autonomous driving software and permission to transfer data abroad, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Chinese state media reported that he met with the prime minister Li Qiang in Beijing. At the meeting, the official told Musk that Tesla’s development in the country could be considered an example of successful economic and commercial cooperation between the United States and China.
ANDThe American electric vehicle manufacturer launched full self-driving, or FSD, the most autonomous version of its Autopilot software, four years ago, but has not yet made it available in China, its second-largest market globally, despite customers urging it to do so. .
Musk said this month that Tesla could make FSD available to customers in China “very soon,” in response to a query on the X social media platform.
Chinese rivals, such as Xpeng, have tried to outdo Tesla with similar software.
What Elon Musk is looking for in China
Musk is seeking approval to transfer data collected in the country abroad to train algorithms for its autonomous driving technologies, the source said.
Since 2021, Tesla has stored all data collected by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai, as required by local regulators, and has not transferred any to the United States.
Musk’s visit to China, originally reported by Reuters, It was not released publicly and the source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give information to the press. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, in its report on Musk’s meeting with Li, did not say whether they had discussed FSD, or data.
A separate state radio report claimed that Li had visited the Beijing auto show and commented on how China’s smart new energy vehicle (NEV) sector had achieved a leading position in the market and that the country had They work hard and maintain their advantages.
Musk also met with Ren Hongbin, a government official who heads the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, organizer of the Beijing auto show, state media reported.
“It’s good to see electric vehicles progressing in China. “All cars will be electric in the future,” Musk said in a video posted on social media by a user affiliated with Chinese state media.
Source: Ambito
