- Tesla China says its Shanghai FSD data center remains active and reports of vacancy are false.
- Tesla has localized data retention, opened a Lingang AI training center, and partnered with Baidu Maps for compliant HD maps.
- Mainland China keeps one-time FSD purchase at RMB 64,000 while subscription rollouts shift across other Asian markets.
Tesla China has denied recent reports circulating online that its FSD Shanghai data center had been left vacant and that the related team had withdrawn from the facility, saying the reports were untrue.
Based on publicly available information, Tesla’s localization work for the supervised version of FSD in China has shown no signs of being halted.
Tesla’s Shanghai data center has already implemented domestic data retention, while its AI training center in Shanghai’s Lingang area began operations in February.
Tesla has also partnered with Baidu Maps to provide high-definition map data for its driver-assistance system that complies with Chinese regulatory requirements.
Tesla’s relevant vehicle models have previously passed four automotive data security standards certifications, providing a data-compliance foundation for the further deployment of driver-assistance functions.
The latest rumors appear to be linked to Tesla’s recent changes to the list of markets where its supervised FSD service is available globally.
According to the latest information on Tesla’s North American website, supervised FSD subscriptions are currently available in 12 markets, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and several European markets. Mainland China is not included in the list.
However, being available for subscription and being approved for actual use are not necessarily the same thing.
Since supervised FSD subscriptions have yet to open in mainland China, the country does not appear on the subscription-market list.
China remains listed among the regions where FSD is approved for actual use on Tesla’s website.
Tesla’s driver-assistance testing operations in China also show no clear signs of a major pullback.
The company’s official careers website continues to list positions related to driver-assistance testing.
For supervised FSD, local road-data collection, regulatory adaptation and real-world vehicle validation require continued investment, suggesting that the related development and testing work remains ongoing.
In February, Tao Lin, Tesla’s global vice president, said the company was adapting its driver-assistance technology for the Chinese market and had established a training center in China.
Meanwhile, FSD’s commercial model is changing in other Asian markets.
Starting Aug. 21, South Korea switched supervised FSD from a one-time purchase priced at KRW 9.043 million ($6,150) to a monthly subscription costing KRW 150,000 ($102), broadly in line with the roughly $99 monthly fee currently charged in the United States.
Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Greater China markets of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have also gradually removed the one-time purchase option, while subscription services in some markets are still listed as “coming soon.”
By comparison, mainland China currently retains a one-time purchase option priced at RMB 64,000 ($9,523), while Tesla has yet to provide a clear timetable for introducing a subscription model.
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