Despite facing increasing competition in China, Tesla vehicles remain popular in the Asian giant. In fact, Tesla revealed earlier this year that its sales in China reached $6.66 billion in 2020, or around 21% of its total sales. However, there is one major institution in China that recently professed its hate for Teslas because of the cameras built in them—the Chinese military.
Chinese Military Wary Of Information Leaks
In a report by Bloomberg News, citing people privy to the matter, Tesla cars are now barred from entering Chinese military complexes as well as housing compounds over concerns the cameras integrated into these vehicles. The military is bothered by the possibility that Tesla cars could be collecting possibly sensitive information inside military premises through the multi-direction cameras and ultrasonic sensors built into them.
A directive from the military has ordered that people working or residing in these complexes and compounds should park their Tesla cars outside. This should prevent the installed cameras and sensors in the Tesla cars from exposing possibly sensitive locations and leaking confidential military information. It's assumed that the Chinese government has no control over the images and information collected by the cameras and sensors.
Tesla Cars Employ Cameras For Various Functions
Tesla employs a number of small cameras both inside and out of its vehicles. Most external cameras and sensors are essential in performing certain functions such as parking, autopilot, and autonomous driving. Tesla has the so-called Sentry Model that employs external cameras to sense incoming threats or to record if someone messed with the car while the owner is away.
Furthermore, Tesla also employs interior cameras with one mounted above the rear view mirror that can detect whether the driver is paying attention to the road ahead or is doing something else. These cameras are crucial to the carmaker's FSD (full self driving) beta testing program created to assess its driver-assist capabilities.
Tesla Cars In China Not Part Of Full Self-Driving Beta Program
The FSD Beta program is one of the concerns that led to the ban imposed by the Chinese military. A representative for Tesla in China, however, told Bloomberg that the interior cameras in Tesla cars in the country are not turned on and are not part of the FSD program.
Source: Bloomberg News