During his trip to China last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk proposed introducing robotaxis into the country powered by his electric vehicle company’s autopilot technology.
Chinese state media reported Wednesday that officials told Mr. Musk the country is looking forward to possible Tesla-backed robotaxi testing in China.
According to reports, Tesla wants to start testing robotaxis in Shanghai, where the company has a factory.
Before Tesla can start testing its automated vehicles in the country, it needs Chinese approval to collect and transfer driver data there.
Tesla’s ability to collect, transfer and store consumer data was apparently one of the key topics Mr. Musk discussed with Chinese officials during his visit.
While the car giant didn’t secure total approval during his trip, it did land the endorsement of key Chinese auto industry officials who confirmed that Tesla’s Model 3 and Y follow Chinese security regulations. This lets the cars travel to parts of China where they were previously banned.
China‘s opening up to Tesla could prove essential for the firm, especially as Chinese competition increases and demand slows.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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