Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk says that the automaker will receive a regulatory boost from Chinese authorities next year amid the EV giant's autonomous push.
Check out the current price of TSLA here.
FSD Could Receive Full Approval Next Year
Musk, during Tesla's annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, shared that he expects Chinese regulators to grant full approval to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) "around February or March or so," in 2026. The billionaire shared that the company already has partial approval in the country. Tesla’s FSD, which is offered under a different name in the Chinese market, is currently under investigation by NHTSA.
A full approval in China would allow Tesla to conduct tests for its autonomous driving technology in the country, where Baidu Inc.'s (NASDAQ:BIDU) Apollo Go robotaxi just reached the 250,000 rides per week milestone, putting it on par with Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo.
Tesla's Falling Chinese Sales
The comments come as Tesla recorded an almost 10% drop in its sales in China despite a strong performance from the automaker in September, which accounted for the second-highest sales tally this year.
Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai sold over 61,497 units in the country, including exports, which were also down 32% compared to last year, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association.
Tesla's 2026 Plans, SpaceX To Go Public?
At the shareholder meeting, Musk also provided a comprehensive update on Tesla's plans, including a timeline for the Tesla Roadster's launch, updates on the Semi Truck, as well as the importance of the Optimus line of humanoid robots for Tesla's future.
Musk also hinted at the possibility of his commercial space flight company, SpaceX, going public in the future amid an expedited launch timeline for the Starship rocket as NASA's Artemis mission looms large.
Tesla scores well on Momentum and Quality metrics, while offering satisfactory Growth, but poor Value. Tesla also has a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium and Long term. For more such insights, sign up for Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings today!
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
Read Next:
Image via Shutterstock
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
