Musk Pursues Self-Driving Tech Approval in China
- Tesla faces restrictions on data collection near sensitive sites
- Approval could boost Tesla's appeal in China's EV market
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has recently met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing. The purpose of the meeting was to seek approval for Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology in China, which is Tesla's largest overseas market. Musk is attempting to persuade Chinese regulators to approve the introduction of this advanced driver-assistance feature to Chinese drivers.
Tesla is currently facing government restrictions over the data its cars can collect near sensitive sites in China. The company is not allowed to transfer its Chinese data out of the country. Musk has expressed interest in transferring this data to the U.S. to create a larger pool that could enhance the training of the driver-assistance feature. This is a potentially complex issue as Beijing considers the protection of such data a matter of national security.
The inability to secure approval for Full Self-Driving could impact the appeal of Tesla cars in China, which is the world's most populated electric vehicle market. Tesla is also facing increased competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers. The company is seeking approval to transfer data collected in China abroad, which could significantly contribute to training its algorithms for autonomous technology on a global scale.