Tesla Full Self-Driving will be facing more challengers in China. Chinese automakers are reportedly speeding up the development of vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to attract buyers.
“Preliminary autonomous driving systems have emerged as a new battlefront for electric builders in China Because they help propel sales and increase brand awareness. The leading players are unanimous that it is necessary to equip their cars with the best hardware and software to compete in the fast-growing market,” commented CNEVPost founder Phase Zhang.
A 2024 report from Consultancy Counterpoint Research estimated that 1 million electric vehicles (EVs) in China would meet Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving standards by 2026. The South China Morning Post reported that a few of the top Chinese automakers, including BYD, have already launched cars with ADAS software that has L3 capability.
Many people following Tesla FSD’s progress believe that Tesla is still Level 2 with regards to autonomous driving. However, a few Tesla FSD users observed that the company’s progress with ADAS is picking up. In July, Elon Musk shared that Tesla FSD might be approved in China before the end of the year.
Tesla FSD would certainly heat up the ADAS competition in China. Earlier this month, a few Tesla owners observed that a few FSD (Supervised) buttons popped up in vehicles located in China, suggesting that Musk’s expectations might be accurate.
The Chinese government does not currently allow the use of L3 capability on local roads, giving automakers developing ADAS systems with the goal of reaching autonomy some time.
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