Electric vehicle giant Tesla Inc. has begun rolling out new driving assistance features for its vehicles on city streets in China. The features, which are being rolled out via a software update, are similar to those included under the company’s full self-driving software in the U.S.
What’s New
The update includes the following features:
- Identification of traffic lights
- Automatic lane changes
- Monitoring of the driver’s attention to the road using the cabin camera
These features will be available to customers who have paid for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, which is priced at 64,000 yuan above the purchase price of the vehicle in China.
Rollout Plans
The company is pushing out the update to vehicles in batches, starting with some models, and will gradually expand the range of compatible models. The rollout is part of Tesla’s plan to introduce FSD in Europe and China in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approval.
Challenges in China
Despite the progress, Tesla is facing challenges in rolling out the software in China. The company is not allowed to transfer training videos from Tesla vehicles in China to the U.S., and the U.S. government does not permit the company to train the software in China. To overcome this, Tesla has been using videos of roads in China available on the internet to train the software.
About FSD
FSD is the advanced version of Tesla’s autopilot driver assistance technology. Although it is called “full self-driving,” it does not currently allow for completely autonomous driving.
Future of Mobility
The expansion of FSD features to China is a significant step towards the future of mobility. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more advanced features and wider adoption of autonomous driving capabilities.
Key Points
- Tesla has started rolling out FSD features in China
- The features include traffic light identification, automatic lane changes, and driver attention monitoring
- The update is available to customers who have paid for FSD
- Tesla is facing challenges in rolling out the software in China due to regulatory restrictions
- FSD is the advanced version of Tesla’s autopilot driver assistance technology, but does not currently allow for completely autonomous driving