- Tesla is rolling out self-driving features to some cars in China, per a software update log.
- It’s not being called Full Self-Driving and Tesla is not offering all the FSD features as in the US.
- BYD is equipping nearly all its models with advanced self-driving tech at no extra cost.
Tesla has started rolling out driving-assistance features to some cars in China that are similar to the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in the US, according to a software update log.
Tesla said the new features allow Tesla owners in China to use driver-assist features on controlled-access and city roads. These include guiding vehicles to exit ramps and intersections, recognizing traffic signals, making turns, and managing lane changes and speed adjustments.
It does not incorporate all of Tesla’s FSD features, including autonomously navigating complex urban environments such as parking lots. Tesla is not branding it as Full Self-Driving.
“For some features, the time of implementation and results may vary based on the vehicle’s model and configuration,” the company said, adding that the range of models will be gradually expanded.
Bloomberg first reported Tesla’s planned deployment of FSD features in China.
The move comes after BYD, Tesla’s biggest rival in China, announced earlier this month that it would equip nearly all its models with advanced self-driving tech at no extra cost, and other rivals followed suit.
In contrast, Tesla owners in China have had to pay about $8,800 extra for self-driving features — a sum nearly as high as the cost of BYD’s cheapest model.
BYD has racing ahead in China’s fiercely competitive EV market. In January it sold sold nearly twice as many EVs as Tesla, with the US carmaker’s sales down 11% compared with the same month in 2024.
BYD sold a record 66,000 vehicles outside China in January, indicating that a push to expand outside its home market is starting to pay off.
Last month, BYD overtook Toyota to become Singapore’s best-selling car brand and also beat Tesla in the UK for the first time.
Other Chinese brands such as NIO, XPeng, MG, and ORA are also notching up higher sales of their affordable electric and hybrid vehicles outside China amid intense competition in the domestic market.
