Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in the Chinese capital Beijing on Sunday, hoping to bring his company’s autonomous driving technology to China and amid increased competition with local electric car makers, Asian Media informed.
While the agenda and detailed itinerary of Musk’s visit is not yet known, as Tesla has not confirmed Musk’s visit to China, the Tesla CEO’s latest trip coincides with the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, which starts on Thursday and runs until Saturday.
Billionaire Musk also owns X and SpaceX and is keen to meet with senior Chinese officials to discuss the introduction of self-driving software (FSD) in China and obtain data permits.
China State Television reported that Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Elon Musk in Beijing on Sunday, calling Tesla’s development in China “an example of success” in US-China cooperation.
Tesla has sold more than 1.7 million vehicles in China since entering the market a decade ago, and the Shanghai plant is the world’s largest. Since 2021, Tesla has stored all data collected by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai, as required by Chinese regulators, and has not transferred it back to the US.
The US electric car maker launched FSD, the most autonomous version of its Autopilot software, four years ago but has yet to make it available in China despite calls from customers to do so. However, Tesla may make FSD available to customers in China this month, according to Musk.
Competing Chinese automakers such as Xpeng are seeking to gain an advantage over Tesla by releasing similar software. They are trying to lure consumers with improved driving assistance features such as city navigation and autopilot and smart parking. China is expected to become the largest market for connected cars.
Musk’s interests in China have long been a source of wonder in Washington, with President Joe Biden saying in November 2022 that his ties to foreign countries “deserve” close attention.
