Tesla has once again postponed the full commercial rollout of its most advanced driver-assistance system in China, dispelling widespread social media rumors suggesting an April 22 launch.
Market sentiment had been heating up after a social media account named "Tesla China Assistant" claimed that Full Self-Driving (FSD) officially entered the Chinese market on April 22. The post quickly spread among investors and owners, generating significant attention.
However, according to a Bloomberg report, Tesla executives clarified during the U.S. earnings call on Wednesday that full regulatory approval for FSD in China has "still not" been achieved. The new projected timeline has been pushed back to the third quarter. This contrasts with CEO Elon Musk's earlier, more optimistic prediction that the software could receive commercial approval as early as February of this year.
The repeated delays mark another shift in the timeline. The recent post by the "Tesla China Assistant" account was widely interpreted as a major signal that FSD's commercial deployment was imminent. Tesla's direct denial during the earnings call confirmed the rumor was false, dashing market expectations for an early launch.
The commercial deployment of Tesla's FSD in China has experienced multiple setbacks. Over a year ago, Tesla received partial approval and initiated a limited pilot program, but a nationwide commercial launch has yet to materialize. During the latest earnings call, the company set the third quarter as the new target window. Notably, the feature will not be marketed in China under the "Full Self-Driving" name, posing an additional challenge for building market recognition.
Meanwhile, Tesla's expansion of FSD in Europe is advancing rapidly. Bloomberg reported that Tesla has secured key regulatory approval in the Netherlands, supporting its planned official rollout across the European Union in the second quarter.
Despite repeated delays in entering the Chinese market, Tesla's long-term confidence in China remains firm. The company believes that once officially launched, FSD will generate "incremental demand" for its aging product lineup and provide necessary differentiation against competitors' increasingly sophisticated driver-assistance systems. However, as the timeline extends further, when this growth thesis will materialize remains a key variable watched closely by the market.
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