Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, made a surprise visit to Beijing on Sunday to meet with Chinese authorities regarding the implementation of the autopilot system in the country. Despite customer requests, the system has not yet been introduced in China. As reported by Reuters, Musk’s visit is aimed at discussing the use of data collected in China to develop algorithms for the autopilot system.
China is Tesla’s second largest market globally, and the company has sold 1.7 million cars in the country in just over ten years. The Shanghai factory is one of Tesla’s largest production facilities. In a message on X, Musk previously hinted that the autopilot system could be introduced in China “possibly very soon.”
However, Tesla’s autopilot system has faced recent scrutiny. A research report by the US Federal Transportation Safety Agency highlighted significant safety flaws in the system, stating that it has been involved in a large number of crashes that could have been prevented. The authorities are now scrambling to address these critical flaws and ensure the safety of Tesla’s autopilot system.
During his visit to Beijing, Musk will engage in discussions with Chinese authorities to address these concerns and work towards implementing the autopilot system in China. The company has been collecting data from its cars operating in the country since 2021, but has not yet received data from Chinese authorities. Musk’s visit underscores Tesla’s commitment to addressing safety issues and improving its technology for the Chinese market.