Tesla still awaiting FSD approval in China despite reports

The status of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in China is back in the headlines today, with major media outlets claiming the automaker has officially launched the system in the country.

The coverage followed a post from Tesla on X listing China among the markets where FSD (Supervised) is available, after launching the software in a second European country, leading many outlets to describe the move as a long-awaited rollout after years of regulatory delays.

However, the actual status of FSD in China is more complicated, and despite these headlines, Tesla still has not received full approval for the latest version of its advanced driver-assistance system in the country.

The biggest issue is that full approval for Tesla’s latest-generation FSD (Supervised) system has still not been granted by Chinese regulators.

FSD Supervised is now available in:
– United States
– Canada
– Mexico
– Puerto Rico
– China
– Australia
– New Zealand
– South Korea
– The Netherlands
– Lithuania

— Tesla (@Tesla) May 20, 2026

What Tesla currently offers in China is a much more limited version of its driver-assistance software. Known locally as “Intelligent Assisted Driving” or “Tesla Assisted Driving” (TAD), the system began rolling out in limited form earlier in 2025 to select owners who had purchased the FSD package.

While some reports described this week’s announcement as a major new launch, Chinese Tesla owners still do not have access to the same FSD v14 experience available in North America and other parts of the world.

Tesla itself has acknowledged this repeatedly over the past year. During Tesla’s Q1 2026 earnings call, CFO Vaibhav Taneja said the company was still targeting a broader FSD launch in China sometime in Q3 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

That timeline aligns with Tesla’s recent hiring activity across China. Earlier this week, Tesla began recruiting “Intelligent Driving Test Engineers” and “Autopilot Test Engineers” in several major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Shanghai.

The job postings show Tesla is still actively validating and testing the system ahead of a wider rollout, not that a full nationwide launch has already occurred.

Then there is of course the fact that no owners in China have reported receiving the software since the post on X.

There is little doubt Tesla is moving closer to a full Chinese launch. Employees are reportedly internally testing newer FSD v14 builds under strict NDA agreements, and updated owner manuals have referenced future FSD-like features.

But for now, full approval for Tesla’s latest FSD (Supervised) system in China has not happened yet.