Tesla rebrands autonomous driving software in China to drop "FSD"

Tesla made to its smart driving software in China, removing the "FSD" (Full Self-Driving) designation from its top-level package. After many years of refusing to drop the misleading moniker, Tesla gave in to Chinese requirements as it is trying to navigate local regulations and align with market expectations.

The software package was previously known as "FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving," and now it is simply called "Intelligent Assisted Driving." This rebrand also applies to the other levels of Tesla's driving software. The "Basic Version Assisted Driving" is now "Basic Assisted Driving," and the "Enhanced Version Automated Assisted Driving" is now "Enhanced Assisted Driving." The company has also removed the phrase "Autopilot Automated Assisted Driving," replacing it with "Assisted Driving."

The price of the premium "Intelligent Assisted Driving" package remains at RMB 64,000, which is approximately $8,800. The "Enhanced Assisted Driving" package is priced at RMB 32,000 ($4,400). The company confirmed that the functionalities of these packages remain the same, corresponding to what was previously known as FSD, Enhanced Autopilot (EAP), and Basic Autopilot (BAP).

Tesla first introduced the FSD software in China, labeling it "Full Self-driving Capability," which implied full autonomous driving. However, the company later clarified that this was not entirely accurate. In February, Tesla began rolling out advanced smart driving features similar to those found in the US, avoiding the "FSD" name at that time. Later, the name was temporarily changed to "FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving."

Tesla announced a planned one-month free trial of its FSD features in China, scheduled to run until April 16. However, this trial was quickly suspended. Tesla explained on the Chinese social media platform Weibo that the suspension was due to the need to complete necessary approvals for the intelligent assisted driving software. Tesla assured customers that the company is working to expedite the approval process and will release the software as soon as it is ready.

For many years, Tesla used the same tactic known from other markets and offered the FSD software package for purchase in China. But the full capabilities of FSD were not available in the region, and even Tesla sales representatives generally did not recommend it to customers. China is the first market where Tesla decided to drop the "FSD" from its software; it'll be interesting to see if it follows this approach in the rest of the world.

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