In today's era of rapid technological development, autonomous driving technology is undoubtedly one of the most watched fields. Tesla, as a pioneer in electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology, has always attracted much attention for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited China on April 28th this year with the aim of promoting the introduction of Tesla's FSD system in China and seeking Chinese approval. During this visit, it was widely believed within the industry that this would accelerate the process of Tesla's FSD entering China, and the Tesla APP also changed from "coming soon" to "coming out soon." Additionally, reports have indicated that the Shanghai Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone has issued a road test license to Tesla, suggesting that Tesla's FSD may be undergoing testing in China. Musk further confirmed this during the second-quarter earnings call and stated that Tesla is applying for regulatory approval with the goal of obtaining the green light for FSD by the end of the year.

On September 5th, Tesla's AI team announced on social media that the fully autonomous FSD system is expected to be launched in China and Europe in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approval. This announcement was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples. So, after Tesla's FSD enters China, can it build an autonomous driving network?

I. Technical Strength of Tesla's FSD

Tesla's FSD system is considered one of the most advanced autonomous driving technologies available. It employs advanced sensor fusion technology, including cameras, millimeter-wave radars, and ultrasonic sensors, to perceive the surrounding environment in real-time. With powerful computing capabilities and deep learning algorithms, the FSD system can analyze and process the perceived data, make accurate decisions, and achieve autonomous driving.

1. Sensor Fusion

Tesla's sensor fusion technology is one of the cores of its FSD system. Cameras provide high-resolution image information to recognize road signs, traffic lights, and other vehicles. Millimeter-wave radars can operate in adverse weather conditions to detect the distance and speed of objects around the vehicle. Ultrasonic sensors are used for close-range detection, such as obstacle detection during parking. These sensors work together to provide the FSD system with comprehensive environmental perception capabilities.

2. Computing Power

Tesla's in-vehicle computer boasts powerful computing capabilities, capable of processing a vast amount of sensor data in real-time. Through deep learning algorithms, the FSD system can continuously learn and improve, enhancing the accuracy and safety of autonomous driving. Additionally, Tesla continuously upgrades its hardware and software to improve the performance of the FSD system.

3. Data-Driven

Tesla's FSD system is data-driven, leveraging extensive real-world driving data to train and improve algorithms. Tesla vehicles travel globally, continuously collecting data from various road conditions and environments. This data is uploaded to Tesla's servers for analysis and processing, which is then used to enhance the FSD system. This data-driven approach allows the FSD system to continuously adapt to different road conditions and environments, improving autonomous driving performance.

II. Challenges for Tesla's FSD Entering China

Despite the powerful technical capabilities of Tesla's FSD system, it still faces challenges upon entering China.

1. Laws and Regulations

Autonomous driving technology is strictly regulated by laws and regulations in China. While China has not yet issued specific laws and regulations for autonomous driving, it has issued a series of related policies and standards. Tesla's FSD system must comply with China's laws and regulations to be legally sold and used in the Chinese market.

2. Data Security

Autonomous driving technology involves a large amount of vehicle and user data, making data security a crucial issue. Tesla needs to ensure that data collected in China is properly protected and complies with China's data security regulations. Additionally, Tesla must cooperate with Chinese regulatory agencies to establish a data security management mechanism to safeguard user privacy and data security.

3. Localization Adaptation

China's road environment and traffic rules differ from those of other countries, requiring localization adaptation for Tesla's FSD system. For example, China's traffic signs and markings may differ from those in other countries, necessitating adjustments to Tesla's FSD system to adapt to the local road environment. Additionally, China's traffic flow and driving habits also differ, requiring optimizations to Tesla's FSD system to enhance autonomous driving performance in China.

III. What is an Autonomous Driving Network?

Tesla's FSD system, with its advanced technical capabilities, including sensor fusion technology, computing power, and data-driven methods, represents state-of-the-art autonomous driving technology. It can provide inspiration for Chinese enterprises and research institutions. Furthermore, Tesla's FSD system has been widely applied and validated globally, and its safety and reliability have gained some recognition. As Tesla's FSD system meets the demand for autonomous driving technology among Chinese consumers, it will also drive the development of autonomous driving technology in China.

But what exactly is an autonomous driving network?

An 'autonomous driving network' typically refers to the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). However, in the future, this network will essentially be built upon devices that integrate sensing, computing, and communication. Unlike traditional 5G communication base stations, these devices will combine sensing, computing, and communication functions using roadside infrastructure. Currently, top global technology companies are striving to deeply integrate the physical and digital worlds, realizing the digitization of the physical world. Therefore, it can also be understood that the future autonomous driving network will be a real-time interactive network that integrates the physical and digital worlds. The integration of vehicles, roads, and clouds is a key element in building an autonomous driving network. The large-scale deployment of integrated sensing, computing, and communication devices embodies the vehicle-road-cloud network, which exists not merely to supplement information for vehicles but is an independent digital system of the physical world, serving intelligent connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and managers. From a data perspective, the vehicle-road-cloud network should serve as a complete system, providing services to each node and terminal, such as solving safety issues by providing comprehensive and advance information to achieve a "zero-accident" network, enhancing efficiency through system upgrades, and addressing game-theoretic decision-making challenges posed by intelligence and scale. In summary, the autonomous driving network is a comprehensive network integrating sensing, computing, and communication, which is of great significance to the future development of transportation and technology.

Building an autonomous driving network requires the collaborative efforts of numerous enterprises and institutions, including communication operators, technology companies, and automakers. Only through cooperation and innovation among all parties can a safe, efficient, and intelligent autonomous driving network be established, bringing more convenience and security to people's travel. In this process, Tesla's FSD can serve as an important participant, contributing to the development of the autonomous driving industry.