--- title: "Tesla Makes Moves to Roll Out Its Controversial “Full Self-Driving” Tech in China" description: "Tesla is preparing to introduce FSD to the Chinese market and considering turning it into a monthly subscription." date: "2024-05-30" modified: "2024-05-30" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-fsd-china-rollout" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" - "Tesla" tags: - "china" - "fsd" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Makes Moves to Roll Out Its Controversial “Full Self-Driving” Tech in China ![Tesla is preparing to introduce FSD to the Chinese market and considering turning it into a monthly subscription.]() *\Image: Ina Fassbender / AFP via Getty / Futurism\* ## Big in China Despite all the evidence suggesting that Tesla's so-called "Full Self-Driving" mode is potentially [dangerous](), the Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle company is pushing to introduce it to Chinese consumers. As [*Reuters* reports](), people familiar with the effort said that the company is getting ready to register its FSD software with Chinese authorities as a prelude to a larger rollout in the People's Republic, its second-largest market after the United States, later this year. Tesla is also considering turning it into a monthly subscription in the country, according to *Reuters*' sources. However, it remains unclear how FSD's terrible track record, which has garnered multiple US [investigations]() and led to [hundreds of crashes]() and [dozens of deaths](), would affect the push. ## Hedging Bets News of this potential update to Tesla's China offerings comes, strangely enough, after [*Nikkei Asia* reported]() that the company is pushing its suppliers to start buying components for its EVs outside of China and Taiwan. Several supply chain executives said the request cited "mounting geopolitical risks" regarding the United States' upcoming presidential election — which Musk, to his end, has been [working to influence in favor of Donald Trump](). In the backdrop of both of these seemingly disparate pushes is President Joe Biden's decision to [greatly increase tariffs on electric vehicles]() from China. The push to diversify supply chains out of China and Taiwan began, however, before those tariffs were announced. These Chinese moves also come amid a [horrible financial year for Tesla](). Should the FSD rollout go through in China, it could open a much-needed new revenue stream for the company that's seen its stock price plummet amid its [boisterous CEO's politicking]() and an [increasingly competitive EV market](). As with anything related to US-China relations, there are clearly a lot of delicate moving parts here — and it's hard to imagine a bull in an antique shop like Musk handling any of it well. **More on FSD:** [*Tesla Forced to Face Lawsuit by Drivers Who Says Elon Misled About Autopilot, FSD Capabilities*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()