Elon Musk leaves Beijing as Tesla overcomes major regulatory hurdles in China

Tech billionaire Tesla Elon Musk boarded a plane leaving Beijing on Monday, an AFP journalist said, following a visit that saw his company obtain a major data security clearance from Chinese authorities.

Musk arrived in Beijing on Sunday for his second trip to China in less than a year, meeting senior officials including Premier Li Qiang as he worked to boost his company’s fortunes in the world’s biggest electric car market. .

On the same day, Tesla’s locally produced models were listed among electric vehicles that meet China’s data security requirements, clearing a key regulatory hurdle.

The tycoon boarded his private jet at Beijing Capital Airport just before 1pm (0500 GMT), with Chinese state-backed flight tracking app Utrip saying the plane was destined for Anchorage, Alaska.

The U.S. electric car giant also appeared to inch closer to government approval to use its assisted-driving technology in China, teaming up with tech titan Baidu for maps and navigation features, Bloomberg reported.

Despite intensifying competition from domestic companies like BYD, Teslas remain among the best-selling electric vehicles in China, but it is trying to boost sales with features like “Full Self Driving” (FSD), which need to comply with Strict data and privacy laws.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said it has been testing vehicles since November 2023 with a national computer security regulator on how they collect and process data, including personal information and recordings of faces outside the car.

“Among them, 76 models from six companies (BYD, Li Auto, Lotus, Hozon Auto, Tesla and NIO) meet the four automotive data security compliance requirements,” CAAM said in a statement.

Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, produced in its massive factory in Shanghai, were on the list.

The company’s advanced assisted-driving features don’t make its cars fully autonomous, and Tesla says its Autopilot and FSD features should be used under the driver’s supervision.

It sells FSD for $8,000 in the United States or for a $99 monthly subscription.

Tesla did not immediately respond to AFP’s questions about the FSD in China and the alleged partnership with Baidu.

Earlier this month, in response to a question on his social media platform X, Musk said that FSD availability in China “may be possible very soon.”

(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)