A Tesla steering wheel. Credit: Jiemian Understand China EV’s Market Real-time notifications when critical EV data is released All important data in one place 2,000,000+ data points Become a member Tesla China has sparked anticipation for the official rollout of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system by initiating a large-scale recruitment drive for intelligent driving testing roles. The company has recently posted approximately 90 core R&D positions, focusing on “Smart Driving Test Technicians” and “ADAS Test Operators” across nine major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Wuhan, as reported by Chinese media Jiemian. According to the job descriptions, these technicians will be responsible for identifying functional improvements and performance regressions in software iterations. The roles require conducting real-world tests on public roads, test tracks, and validation sites. Candidates must possess a clean driving record for at least one year, have over three years of driving experience with an annual mileage exceeding 10,000 km, and demonstrate a deep familiarity with ADAS and Autopilot systems. While CEO Elon Musk previously noted in late 2025 that FSD had received “partial approval” in China, Tesla executives clarified during the Q1 2026 earnings call that they now expect the system to receive broader regulatory approval by the third quarter of 2026. Tesla’s autonomous driving test roles recruited across various cities in China In a move to localise its digital ecosystem, Tesla has also updated its in-car voice assistant. The system now integrates ByteDance’s “Doubao” large model for voice commands – such as navigation, media control, and climate adjustments – and “DeepSeek Chat” for advanced AI interactions. These services are provided through the Volcano Engine, marking a major upgrade to the Tesla user experience in China since the brand’s entry into the market in 2013. Job description for intelligent driving test engineer. Financially, Tesla reported a robust performance for the first quarter of 2026. Revenue reached 22.39 billion USD, a 16% year-on-year increase, marking the fastest growth in three years. Net profit attributable to common stockholders rose to 477 million USD, while adjusted net profit surged 56% to 1.453 billion USD. The Shanghai Gigafactory remains a cornerstone of this growth, delivering 213,000 vehicles in Q1, a 23.5% increase year-on-year. This January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed that the company’s supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) system could receive approval in China as early as February, but reliable sources quoted by state media China Daily directly debunked the claim. Tesla’s sales performance in China. In April 2026, Tesla sold 25,956 vehicles in China, down 9.7% year-on-year and 53.7% month-on-month. Of these, the Model Y accounted for 22,990 units, making it the third best-selling model in the Chinese market that month.