Chinese authorities have removed restrictions on Tesla’s locally made cars following the automaker’s announcement that they have met the country’s data security standards. This development coincided with the surprise visit of Tesla CEO Elon Musk to Beijing, happening amidst the city’s first major auto show in four years.
Despite Tesla’s electric vehicles enjoying significant popularity in China, concerns over data collection had led to bans on some government-related properties. However, the specific authorities responsible for lifting the restrictions were not disclosed by Tesla. In addition to Tesla, several other electric vehicle manufacturers such as BYD, Lotus, and Nio have also successfully passed China’s data security checks.
These new regulations, introduced in November, focus on ensuring the security of “connected vehicles” by addressing aspects like data anonymization, processing, and user notification. Tesla has reassured compliance with these regulations by localizing data storage and meeting international security standards. Elon Musk’s visit to China has further fueled speculation about the imminent availability of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software in the country.
Premier Li’s presence at the Beijing auto show underscored the importance of innovation and demand-driven production in the automotive industry. Meanwhile, Tesla opted out of exhibiting at this year’s auto show, a decision stemming from an incident at the Shanghai auto show in 2021 where a protester had climbed onto one of its vehicles. The auto show, which alternates between Beijing and Shanghai annually, was not held in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.