China: Tesla rolls out new advanced self-driving features

One step closer to self-driving cars . Electric vehicle giant Tesla has started offering advanced self-driving features for its cars in China, including autopilot on city streets, the company said Tuesday, February 25.

The announcement comes after years of attempts by the U.S. automaker to overcome regulatory hurdles preventing the update in China's auto market, the world's largest.

Tesla said it would gradually roll out a software update that includes "Autopilot-assisted self-driving on city streets" and a feature in the rearview mirror that detects whether drivers are paying attention or not.

These features are similar to those of the FSD system (for "full self-driving") that the manufacturer offers in the United States.

Cars with these features are, in fact, not fully autonomous and are intended to be used under the control of a driver.

The update "has been released for some car models and will be gradually extended to other suitable car models," the company said in a statement posted on Chinese social network WeChat.

China is an important market for Tesla, which has two factories there and is trying to compete with local electric vehicle manufacturers, which are growing strongly.

Tesla's main rival in China, Chinese manufacturer BYD , announced a few days ago the upcoming deployment of advanced autonomous driving technology on almost all of its vehicles.

Tesla is seeking approval from regulators in China for its FSD system, which must comply with local data and privacy laws.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made several trips to China in recent years to obtain the necessary data security approvals for models produced on Chinese soil.

The business leader plays a major role in the administration of US President Donald Trump, who has imposed additional tariffs on Chinese goods and promised to limit Chinese investment in the United States in strategic technology and infrastructure sectors.

Elon Musk, however, remains a relatively popular figure in China, where he is seen by many as a successful and influential entrepreneur.

He has nearly 2.3 million followers on Chinese social network Weibo and his mother, Maye Musk, has appeared in advertisements for several Chinese brands.

Chinese tech companies and carmakers have invested billions of euros in autonomous driving in a bid to catch up with American leaders in the sector.

While Chinese consumers cannot purchase fully autonomous vehicles, China has already approved several self-driving taxi services in a few major cities.

In Wuhan, central China, more than 500 driverless taxis are ferrying passengers across large areas of the city. They are part of Chinese tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go project.

BYD's "God's Eye" autonomous driving system enables remote parking and autonomous highway navigation, features previously reserved for high-end vehicles.

This month, the Chinese manufacturer announced that it was making the system immediately available even on entry-level cars, including the Seagull, a model that starts at 69,800 yuan (9,180 euros).