--- title: "Tesla Suddenly Suspends Full Self-Driving Trial in China" description: "Tesla is pausing its free, limited-time trial of its mull Self-Driving driver software in China, a potentially significant setback." date: "2025-03-24" modified: "2025-03-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/tesla-suspends-full-self-driving-china" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" - "Tesla" tags: - "elon musk" - "fsd" - "full self-driving" - "tesla" --- # Tesla Suddenly Suspends Full Self-Driving Trial in China ![Tesla is pausing its free, limited-time trial of its mull Self-Driving driver software in China, a potentially significant setback.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* In what could turn out to be a major setback for the company, Tesla is pausing its free, limited-time trial of its misleadingly-named Full Self-Driving driver software in China. As [*Reuters* reports](), the Elon Musk-led carmaker is still planning on releasing the feature pending regulatory approval — which appears to be more difficult to secure than Tesla anticipated. For one, China's tight grip on training data for the AI that controls Tesla's FSD system is making it more difficult to refine, especially compared to the United States, where such data is readily available. "All parties are actively advancing the relevant process and we will push it to you as soon as it is ready," Tesla's customer support account wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo, as translated by *Reuters*. "We are also looking forward to it, please wait patiently." It's possible that the pause has to do with its poor performance so far. Tesla drivers who had been testing the software before it was paused on Chinese streets had been racking up fines for driving in bike lanes, making illegal turns, and running red lights, as [*Electrek* reported]() last month. It's a significant roadblock for the company. Musk has bet [much of the company's future]() on the fulfillment of his [decade-long promise]() of realizing self-driving vehicles — but given the many [collisions and even deaths]() related to the software, the company still has a lot of work to do. The company is also anticipating [releasing a "Cybercab]()" autonomous taxi, whose fate will depend on the software's successful rollout. Tesla may be learning the difficulty of complying with China's strict data laws. For instance, China's industry ministry [now requires]() that any over-the-air software updates related to autonomous driving will have to pass regulatory approval first. If Tesla were to roll out such an update — which it has done numerous times in the US and elsewhere — it would have to first "immediately stop the manufacture and sales of defective automobile products" until it receives approval from regulators, according to the mandate, which was announced last month. The story couldn't be more different in the US. Musk has amassed a tremendous amount of influence in the White House, raising [concerns over massive conflicts of interest](). The Trump administration is [expected to roll back]() autonomous car crash report data requirements, alleviating regulatory pressure on the EV maker. Trump himself has even [personally advertised Tesla's offerings]() in front of the White House, in a baffling and desperate attempt to prop up for a company that's facing a [cataclysmic financial year](). However, Chinese regulators aren't bending over backward. Tesla's competition has surged there, with BYD [leapfrogging Tesla on revenue]() by passing the $100 billion mark in sales last year. Tesla's China-made EV sales [fell a considerable 11.5 percent]() in January, year over year. It's still possible Tesla is on track for releasing a full version of its FSD software sometime this year. But given the fact that it's already encountering regulatory hurdles, there could be even more trouble ahead for the feature. **More on Tesla:** *[Elon Musk Begs Tesla Staff Not to Sell Their Stocks]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()