Elon Musk’s Push for Full Self Driving in China Sparks Safety Concerns

Elon Musk’s recent visit to China to discuss enabling Full Self Driving (FSD) mode on Tesla cars has sparked safety concerns, as the US has reported at least 13 crashes related to Tesla’s autonomous driving modes, including one fatality. While FSD is available in the US, it has not yet been enabled in China, which is Tesla’s second-largest market. Other Chinese carmakers like Xpeng in Guangzhou are also developing self-driving functions to compete with Tesla. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US is investigating whether a recall has successfully addressed safety concerns regarding Tesla’s driver assistance system, which requires drivers to stay engaged and be ready to take control at any time. Critics accuse Musk of exaggerating the capabilities of autonomous driving to boost Tesla’s stock price, despite challenges like declining electric vehicle demand and competition from Chinese manufacturers. Tesla’s profits have dropped significantly this year, and its stock has fallen by 43%. Elon Musk has promised that Teslas will operate as “robotaxis,” but the company has faced delays in achieving full autonomy as previously claimed. Musk is set to reveal Tesla’s robotaxi later this year, despite setbacks and skepticism from critics.