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China just became a lot more interesting
Tesla says its Supervised Full Self-Driving service is now available in China, adding the world’s biggest EV arena to a list that already includes the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and a handful of other markets. Translation: after years of “not yet,” Tesla finally gets to sell a higher-tech driving experience to Chinese customers who’ve mostly been stuck with Autopilot.
Why investors care
This isn’t just a software checkbox. China is the kind of market where every inch matters, and Tesla has been getting squeezed by local players like BYD. So if FSD actually gains traction, it could give Tesla a little extra pricing power, more software revenue, and a better sales pitch than “please buy our car because it looks cool.”
The Trump-Xi backdrop
The timing is awkwardly perfect. The rollout comes right after Trump’s trip to China and his meeting with Xi Jinping, which also sparked chatter about looser access for U.S. companies. Tesla didn’t spell out whether politics helped the process, but the vibe here is unmistakable: when the U.S. and China are in deal-making mode, Tesla tends to end up with a better seat at the table.
The market’s quick reaction
Tesla shares were up 1.56% to $423.75 in premarket trading Thursday, which is Wall Street’s way of saying, “Cool, show me the adoption numbers next.” If the rollout sticks and Chinese drivers actually buy in, this could become another software-margin storyline for Tesla — and those are the stories investors usually like best.
Big picture: Tesla just turned a long-running China headache into a fresh growth angle. Now the real question is whether drivers in China treat FSD like a must-have upgrade or just another fancy feature in a very crowded EV bazaar.