Musk leaves Beijing after Tesla wins key China security clearance
Tech billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk departs Beijing on Monday after his company secured key data security clearance from Chinese authorities following whistleblower visit said an AFP reporter.
Musk arrived in Beijing on Sunday, making his second visit to China in less than a year and meeting with government officials including Premier Li Qiang, as he works to enrich his company in the world's largest electric vehicle market. .
On the same day, Tesla's locally produced model was listed as an EV that meets China's data security requirements, clearing a key regulatory hurdle.
He boarded a private jet at Beijing Capital Airport just before 1 p.m. (5 p.m. Japan time), and the plane was bound for Anchorage, AL, according to the Chinese government-backed aviation tracking app Utrip.
The US electric car giant is inching closer to government approval for the use of driver-assistance technology in China by partnering with technology giant Baidu for maps and navigation features, Bloomberg reports. is.
Despite increasing competition from domestic companies such as BYD, Tesla remains one of the best-selling electric cars in China, but it has a “Full Self-Driving” (FSD), which requires compliance with strict data and regulations. ) and other features to increase sales. Privacy law.
The China Automobile Manufacturers Association announced that it has been working with the national computer security regulator since November 2023 to test vehicles on how they collect and process data such as personal information and facial records outside the vehicle. did.
“Of these, 76 models from six companies (BYD, Li Auto, Lotus, Hozon Auto, Tesla, and NIO) meet the four compliance requirements for automotive data security,” CAAM said in a statement.
The Model 3 and Model Y, which are manufactured at Tesla's huge factory in Shanghai, made the list.
The company's advanced driver assistance features do not make its cars fully autonomous, and Tesla says Autopilot and FSD features are intended to be used under driver supervision.
FSD sells for $8,000 in the US, with a $99 monthly subscription.
Tesla did not immediately respond to AFP's questions about China's FSD and its reported partnership with Baidu.
Earlier this month, Musk said in response to a question on social media platform X that the use of FSD in China “may be possible soon.”
Source: guardian.ng