On Friday, Tesla announced a software update for its in-car navigation system in China. This update brings new capabilities to the system, like lane markers on the map that match the actual lanes on the road.
Along with a number of new features included in the most recent over-the-air update, the company announced the update on its official WeChat account. It stated that these additions would lessen consumers’ reliance on smartphone applications while driving.
While the official Shanghai Securities News reported on Friday that Baidu is the map supplier, Tesla did not clarify who was providing the lane-related mapping service.
In April, Baidu made the initial announcement about the launch of its V20 Baidu Maps, listing Tesla and Huawei as users. Since 2020, Baidu has supplied Tesla with navigation maps.
The firm claims that lane-level navigation, which is new to Baidu Maps V20, can give human drivers comprehensive road information and lane recommendations to improve driving safety and enjoyment.
On social media, Chinese consumers have bemoaned the lack of detail in Tesla’s in-car navigation map compared to smartphone maps. Tesla was not immediately available for comment from China.
Reuters reported last month that Tesla, which solely uses cameras as sensors for its autonomous driving technology, is currently introducing its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software system in China. The company has made progress recently as it gets ready to register this cutting-edge feature with authorities.
Navigation maps are commonly used in China to give traffic information to human drivers, in contrast to high-definition maps that gather more sensitive, in-depth geographic data to act as an extra sensor for autonomous driving cars.
