Elon Musk Pede Full Autonomous Driving Feature Tesla Approved By Chinese Government

Photo: Tesla electric car boss Elon Musk. (Photo: ABC News)

JAKARTA - Tesla boss Elon Musk estimates that his company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software will get full permission from the Chinese government in early 2026. This was conveyed at a recent general meeting of shareholders.

Elon Musk said that Tesla currently has partial permits for the FSD feature in China. "We have received partial approval in China, and hopefully we will get full approval around February or March," Musk said.

Since February 2025, the FSD feature in China is still limited in use. The system has not been able to carry out all functions such as the version operating in the United States.

Some of the main features that have not been activated include automatic gear changes and the vehicle's ability to travel completely from one point to another without human intervention. In addition, the system still faces obstacles in recognizing local traffic signs in various parts of China.

China is an important market for Tesla, but in recent years, the market share of the company from the United States has fallen significantly from around 15.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023 to only about 8 percent in the last quarter.

One of the declines was due to increased competition from local automotive brands that offered similar driving assistance technology at no additional cost. Several Tesla owners in China also bought FSD features at a price of around 64,000 yuan.

They hope that the feature will be fully activated soon, but the delay in permits makes some consumers feel disappointed. If Tesla succeeds in obtaining full approval, this will be an important milestone in the company's efforts to deliver advanced driving assistance technology in the Chinese market.

However, until now there has been no official statement from the Chinese industrial authorities regarding Musk's prediction. The next step for Tesla is to meet all regulatory requirements, including improving the system's ability to recognize local traffic conditions and ensuring compliance with strict rules regarding the use and transfer of vehicle data in China.