Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, made a surprise visit to China on April 29, 2024. During his two-day trip, Musk received encouraging news for Tesla as the company overcame a major data security hurdle and sealed a deal with China's biggest search engine, Baidu (BIDU), to use its mapping and navigation functions for Tesla's Autopilot technology. This development is significant as Chinese officials had reportedly tentatively approved Tesla's request to launch its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in the country.
Tesla has been trying to convince Chinese regulators that its FSD software is safe for use despite repeated crashes in the United States. The company reported a steep plunge in profits last week and was looking for ways to boost sales, especially since China is the largest market for electric vehicles. However, Beijing had been cautious about FSD due to safety concerns and data security issues.
The news of Tesla's progress in China came as a relief to investors, with Tesla shares gaining more than 6% on Wall Street in pre-market trading after Musk's trip. Baidu's shares also closed up 2.4% in Hong Kong.
During his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Musk praised Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai as the company's 'best-performing factory.' Li expressed support for deepening cooperation between the US and China, praising Tesla as a 'successful model' for their collaboration.
Tesla will deliver its autonomous driving services based on Baidu's mapping and navigation functions. The deal with Baidu is expected to help Tesla overcome data security concerns that have been preventing it from achieving a full rollout of the FSD system in China.
It is important to note that while this news is promising for Tesla, there are still challenges ahead. Data security remains a concern, and Chinese authorities will continue to closely monitor the safety of Tesla's self-driving technology. Additionally, competition in the Chinese EV market is fierce, with domestic companies like Xpeng and NIO gaining ground.
Sources:
- The Washington Post: Elon Musk visits China as Tesla seeks green light for self-driving cars
- CNBC: Tesla jumps 8% in premarket trade after passing key hurdle to roll out full self-driving in China
- Investor's Business Daily: Tesla Jumps After Musk's Surprise China Visit