Tesla China Files Police Report Over Claims Its Shanghai FSD Data Center Was Abandoned

A social media post recently claimed that Tesla's Shanghai data center, built specifically to prepare FSD for China, had been deserted, with the entire liaison team withdrawn and FSD's China entry dead for years.

On August 26, Tesla China told Yicai the claims are false, that it has filed a report with police, and that the data center is operating normally with assisted-driving recruitment accelerating and all related work progressing steadily.

The rumor grew out of a real change. Around August 20, observers noticed Tesla's North American website had updated its global FSD availability list, and China had been removed from the 13-region lineup published in May.

The list now covers 12 regions, including the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Netherlands. Tesla's response on that point was carefully vague, deferring to the official website and saying it will keep pushing the approval process. No explanation for the removal, no timeline, and that vacuum is exactly where the speculation came from.

The pullout story itself does not hold up against public information. Tesla's AI training center in Shanghai's Lingang area only began operating this February, forming a closed loop of data collection, storage and training with all data retained domestically.

Tesla also partners with Baidu Maps for compliant high-definition maps, and its vehicles have passed four automotive data security certifications.

The people with the most at stake are owners who paid RMB 64,000 (about $9,500) for FSD in China and are still running a limited version, a wait prominent reviewer Chen Zhen publicly joked was money wasted.