Tesla’s Partnership with Baidu Clears Path for Advanced Assisted Driving in China, Bloomberg Reports.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is reportedly teaming up with Baidu to introduce Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities in China, as per a recent report.
The US electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer is poised to overcome a critical obstacle in launching advanced assisted driving features in China by collaborating with Baidu on mapping and navigation services, according to sources cited in Bloomberg’s report today.
Tesla plans to leverage Baidu’s lane-level navigation and mapping to enable its autonomous driving services, noted the sources.
Baidu is among roughly 20 certified suppliers offering key modules for self-driving functionalities, the report highlighted.
Tesla began utilizing Baidu’s in-vehicle mapping and navigation services in China in 2020, with this expanded partnership aiming to address mapping challenges for more sophisticated self-driving features, the report explained.
The recent developments followed Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s surprise visit to China on Sunday to secure approval for driver-assistance software to help mitigate the automaker’s revenue decline, according to the report.
While the suite of features requires constant supervision and does not render Teslas autonomous, purchasing FSD outright in the US costs $8,000 or $99 per month via subscription, the report outlined.
In China, purchasing FSD outright costs RMB 64,000 ($8,840), with no subscription option available.
In addition to FSD, Tesla offers Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) in China at half the US price and occasionally allows owners to experience it for free during certain holiday periods.
On April 27, Tesla commenced offering Chinese customers the option to subscribe to EAP for RMB 699 per month or RMB 1,399 per quarter.
Musk’s unexpected visit to China yesterday included meetings with senior Chinese officials.
In a statement last night, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) announced that Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y produced at its Shanghai factory met data security requirements.
