Rumors Fizzle: Tesla Delays FSD Launch in China; Earliest Rollout Pushed to Third Quarter

Tesla has once again delayed the full commercial rollout of its most advanced driver-assistance feature in China, causing widespread rumors circulating on social media claiming "FSD officially enters China on April 22" to be proven false.

Just as market sentiment was heating up due to these rumors, the self-media account "Tesla China Assistant" posted that FSD had officially entered China on April 22. The news spread rapidly among investors and owners, drawing significant attention.

However, according to Bloomberg, Tesla executives clearly stated during Wednesday's U.S. earnings conference call that full commercial licensing for FSD in China "has not yet been realized" (still not there), with the latest expected timeline pushed to the third quarter. CEO Musk had previously offered more aggressive predictions, stating the software could receive commercial licensing as early as February this year.

Timeline Delayed Repeatedly, Target Pushed Back Again

Recently, the self-media account "Tesla China Assistant" posted on its platform claiming FSD had officially entered China on April 22. The content spread quickly, with some investors and media viewing it as a significant signal for FSD's commercial rollout in China. However, following direct denial by Tesla executives during the earnings call, the rumor was proven untrue—executives explicitly stated that full approval "has not yet been secured," causing the market's expectation for an earlier realization to fizzle out.

The commercial progress of Tesla FSD in China has undergone multiple delays. Musk had previously publicly predicted that FSD could receive commercial licensing as early as February this year. Although Tesla obtained partial licensing over a year ago and launched small-scale pilot programs, formal nationwide commercial rollout has not yet materialized. During this earnings call, the company set the new target window for the third quarter. Notably, FSD will not be promoted in China under the name "Full Self-Driving," which poses an additional challenge to establishing market awareness for the feature in China.

Europe Accelerates, Netherlands Approves First

Meanwhile, Tesla's expansion of FSD in Europe is advancing rapidly. According to Bloomberg, Tesla has secured key regulatory approval in the Netherlands, supporting its planned official launch across the European Union in the second quarter.

Despite repeated obstacles to entering the Chinese market, Tesla's long-term confidence in the region remains unwavering. The company believes that once FSD is officially launched, it will bring "incremental demand" to its increasingly aging product lineup while providing necessary differentiation support against competitors' increasingly sophisticated intelligent driving capabilities. However, as the delay stretches on, when this growth logic will truly materialize remains a core variable continuously watched by the market.