A Tesla demonstrates FSD Supervised on a highway in an image from the company’s US website. Credit: Tesla
- Tesla China said its Shanghai data center is operating normally and that it has reported the online rumors to police.
- China is absent from the latest list of FSD subscription markets but remains listed on Tesla’s website as a market where the software can be used.
Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) China team denied that its Full Self-Driving (FSD) data center in Shanghai had been vacated, saying it had reported the online rumors to police.
Tesla China told Tencent Tech on Wednesday that the Shanghai data center is operating normally. Recruitment for driver-assistance-related positions is also accelerating, and the relevant work is progressing steadily, it said.
Online rumors began circulating on Tuesday that the data center set up in preparation for the introduction of FSD Supervised in China had been left empty, with the relevant liaison teams withdrawn and positions eliminated.
Tesla China denied the rumors in a response to the National Business Daily earlier Wednesday. Its decision to report the claims to police indicates that the company is seeking to quickly contain speculation that its preparations for FSD in China have stalled.
The rumors were fueled by Tesla’s recent website update. Its North American website lists 12 markets where FSD Supervised subscriptions are available, including the US, Canada, Australia, South Korea and several European countries. China is not included.
However, the list covers only markets where FSD subscriptions have been launched and does not represent all regions where the software is listed as available for use. A page on Tesla’s US website still includes China among the markets where FSD Supervised can be used.
Tesla’s US website displays performance claims for FSD Supervised and says the system is available in 12 countries. Credit: Tesla
Tesla’s US website lists China among the markets included in its FSD Supervised availability count. The red box highlighting China was added by CnEVPost. Credit: Tesla
The website listing does not mean that Chinese users already have access to the full suite of features. Tesla has yet to offer FSD subscriptions in China and has not announced a timeline for broadly rolling out FSD Supervised to local users.
Tesla said on social media platform X in May that China was among the markets where FSD Supervised was available. Its Chinese website subsequently renamed the software “Tesla Assisted Driving” and continued to state that the full suite of features would be available “later.”
That highlights a gap in the signals Tesla has sent in China. The company has included China in its global FSD availability footprint, while details about the product’s functionality, subscription model and regulatory approval remain unclear.
Tesla global vice president Grace Tao said in February that the company would actively participate in the development of automated driving assistance in China. Tesla has continued adapting the technology for the Chinese market and has deployed training capabilities for local road conditions in advance, she said.
A full roll-out of FSD in China is important for Tesla to maintain its technological competitiveness. Xiaomi (HKEX: 1810), Huawei and other local rivals are rapidly making urban driver-assistance features available on a wider range of vehicles.
Tesla’s response rejects claims that it has withdrawn its local infrastructure or teams. It leaves a more consequential question unanswered: when Chinese users will gain access to the full FSD Supervised service.
There is no system other than Tesla’s FSD that can rank among the first tier, a Li Auto executive said.
