Tesla Collaborates With Baidu To Face FSD Launch Obstacles In China

Tesla Model 3. (Doc. Tesla)

JAKARTA - During Elon Musk's surprise visit to Beijing, China, reports emerged that Tesla had partnered with internet giant Baidu for its vehicle mapping and navigation service. The partnership will help Tesla overcome obstacles to launching their Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in China.

During his visit, on his personal X account Musk met with a number of government officials such as Prime Minister Li Qiang and Chinese Chairman Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Ron Hongbin. He was accompanied by key Tesla executives such as Tom Zhu, SVP, Automotive, and VP Grace Tao. Interestingly, the executive from CATL was also seen visiting the hotel where Musk was staying.

Quoting Reuters, April 29, Tesla's agreement with Baidu will be able to use the Chinese tech giant's mapping license to collect data on China's public roads. It can also reduce concerns about the risk of data security on Tesla vehicles.

In addition to deals with Baidu for mapping and navigation, Tesla is also

meeting data security and processing requirements in China, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Together with Tesla, other domestic car manufacturers such as BYD have also met all data processing requirements in the country.

Tesla China is a key player in the country's electric vehicle sector, although they continue to face increasingly fierce competition from domestic rivals. With this in mind, Tesla may see Full Self-Driving as a major advantage in China's domestic automotive segment. Tesla's large electric vehicle fleet in China can also provide valuable real-world data for FSD training and development.

If this is true then Tesla will follow in Geely's footsteps, where last year Geely and Baidu have launched a new brand called Jiyue that focuses on achieving self-driving level 4. This cooperation model includes the recently announced Jiyue 01 SUV and Jiyue 07 sedan.