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FILE PHOTO: A Tesla Model 3 vehicle drives using FSD (Full Self-Driving) in Encinitas, California, U.S., October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo |
Tesla released a software upgrade for its in-car navigation system in China on Friday, introducing new features such as displaying lane markings on its maps that correspond to the actual lanes on the road.
The company announced the update on its official WeChat
account along with a series of new features added in the latest over-the-air
upgrade that it claimed would reduce users’ reliance on smartphone applications
while driving.
Tesla did not specify the provider of the lane-related
mapping service while the official Shanghai Securities News reported on Friday
that Baidu is the map supplier.
Baidu, first announced the release of its V20 Baidu Maps in
April, naming Tesla and Huawei among the clients of the map. Baidu has been
Tesla's navigation map provider since 2020.
The Baidu Maps V20 introduces lane-level navigation, which
the company said can provide human drivers with detailed road information and
lane recommendations to enhance driving safety and experience.
Chinese users in China have complained about Tesla’s in-car
navigation map on social media, saying it is not as detailed as maps available
on smartphones. Tesla in China was not immediately available to comment.
Tesla, which only uses cameras as sensors for its autonomous
driving technology, is currently in the process of introducing its ‘Full
Self-Driving’ (FSD) software system in China, which recently made progress as
the company prepares to register this technologically advanced feature with
authorities, Reuters reported last month.
Unlike high-definition maps that collect more detailed,
sensitive geographic information to serve as an additional sensor for
autonomous driving cars, navigation maps have been widely used in China to
provide traffic information to human drivers. Reuters