BEIJING (Reuters) – Tesla Inc released a software upgrade for its in-car navigation system in China on Friday, introducing new features such as displaying lane markings on a map that correspond to the lanes on the actual road.
The company announced the update on its official WeChat account along with a range of new features added in the latest over-the-air upgrade, claiming that this will reduce users’ reliance on smartphone apps while driving.
Tesla did not disclose who provided the lane-related mapping service, but the Shanghai Securities News reported on Friday that Baidu was the map supplier.
Baidu first announced the release of the V20 Baidu Maps in April, naming Tesla and Huawei as map clients. Baidu has been Tesla’s navigation map provider since 2020.
Baidu Maps V20 introduces lane-level navigation, which the company says can provide human drivers with detailed road information and lane recommendations to improve driving safety and experience.
Users in China have complained on social media about Tesla’s in-car navigation maps, saying they are not as detailed as maps available on smartphones. Tesla China declined to immediately comment.
Tesla, which only uses cameras as sensors for its autonomous driving technology, is currently preparing to roll out a “full self-driving” (FSD) software system in China, with recent progress being made in registering the technologically advanced feature with authorities, Reuters reported last month.
Unlike high-definition maps, which collect more detailed and sensitive geographic information as an additional sensor for autonomous vehicles, navigation maps are widely used in China to provide traffic information to human drivers.
(Reporting by Yelin Mo, Zhang Yang and Casey Hall; Editing by Louise Heavens)
