If you were excited about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) trial in China, you might be in for a bit of a wait.
Just days after announcing a limited-time free trial of its Full Self-Driving system, Tesla has now hit the brakes—at least for now. The trial, which was supposed to run from March 17 to April 16, 2025, has been temporarily paused, leaving many customers wondering why.
So, what happened?
Let’s break it down.
What Was the Offer?
Earlier this month, Tesla China promised eligible owners a free one-month FSD trial, available to vehicles with the right hardware, updated software, and the newest navigation maps. It was a big move—and one that many in China were looking forward to.
But on March 24, customers noticed that the offer seemed to vanish without explanation. The news was quickly picked up by Reuters, and soon after, Tesla’s customer service team responded on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Here’s what they said:
“All parties are actively advancing the relevant process, and we will push it to you as soon as it is ready. We are also looking forward to it, please wait patiently.”
In short: Tesla says the delay is temporary—but didn’t give an official reason.
So Why the Sudden Pause?
While Tesla hasn’t made a formal statement, there are a few strong clues as to what might be causing the holdup.
1. New Government Rules in China
In February 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced new rules for autonomous driving, which could be directly impacting Tesla’s FSD rollout.
According to these new rules, any over-the-air (OTA) update related to autonomous features—like Tesla’s FSD—must be reviewed and approved by regulators before going live. That means no software updates can be pushed to customers without going through the government first.
This likely slowed Tesla’s plans, not just for the free trial, but potentially for future FSD features as well.
2. FSD Still Needs Regulatory Approval
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature still hasn’t received full regulatory approval in China. This alone could explain why the free trial can’t move forward—because Tesla simply isn’t allowed to activate FSD in that market just yet.
3. U.S.–China Tensions Are Making Things Harder
As if regulations weren’t enough, political tensions between the U.S. and China are also adding complications.
Elon Musk spoke openly about this during Tesla’s last earnings call. Here’s what he said:
“China is a gigantic market. But we do have some challenges because they currently don’t allow us to transfer training video outside of China. And then the U.S. government won’t let us do training in China.”
In other words, Tesla can’t send driving data from China to the U.S. for FSD training, and the U.S. doesn’t want Tesla to train its AI systems in China either.
It’s a tough spot—and one that puts Tesla’s autonomous tech plans on pause, caught between two powerful governments.
So What’s Next for FSD in China?
While the free trial is temporarily paused, Tesla is actively working behind the scenes to find a solution.
One major step? Partnering with Chinese tech giant Baidu.
With Baidu’s help, Tesla hopes to improve its navigation and map data locally—something that’s essential for FSD to operate smoothly on Chinese roads.
This partnership could be a key move in helping Tesla train its AI without breaking China’s strict data laws.
What do you think—should Tesla adjust FSD for different markets or wait for full approval? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
