Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

Tesla brings 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' to China after years of delays as local EV rivals race ahead

read original get Tesla Full Self-Driving Kit → more articles
Why This Matters

Tesla's launch of its 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' system in China marks a significant step in expanding advanced driver-assistance technologies in a highly competitive market. This move highlights Tesla's efforts to regain its technological edge amid rising local EV rivals and regulatory challenges, impacting both industry innovation and consumer options. The availability of FSD (Supervised) in China underscores the global push toward more sophisticated autonomous driving features, shaping the future landscape of mobility.

Key Takeaways

Consumers with the Tesla Model Y L electric vehicle in Tesla stores in Shanghai, China on October 19, 2025.

After years of delays, Tesla announced Thursday that its "Full Self-Driving" capabilities are now available for its electric vehicles sold in China, as China's domestic EV brands have long since rolled out proprietary self-driving technologies.

The announcement on X, which is owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, listed China as one of 10 markets where the company's FSD (Supervised) system is now available. While short on details, the post marks the first time the automaker has confirmed the availability of the technology in China.

The announcement comes a week after Musk, together with a U.S. delegation of business executives, joined U.S. President Donald Trump for his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Before Thursday's announcement, the availability of its FSD technology in China was mired in ambiguity.

Unlike U.S. consumers, Tesla customers in China could only access the company's Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot systems — precursors to the FSD (Supervised) system — while only select users had access to limited versions as the automaker awaited regulatory approval.

Despite its name, Tesla's FSD (Supervised) technology still requires active driver supervision to take over steering and braking.

A fully autonomous, "unsupervised" version of the technology is still being trialed on a fleet of Tesla vehicles that operate as part of its Robotaxi ride-hail service in Texas.

It is unclear, however, whether Tesla's FSD (Supervised) capabilities have already been made available to mainstream consumers in China.

According to the company's China website, "intelligent assisted driving" is available on its Model 3 sedan at a one-time fee of 64,000 Chinese yuan ($9,409). The company added that these features would be updated "shortly," according to a Mandarin disclaimer translated by CNBC.

... continue reading