Tesla is collaborating with Baidu to enhance the performance of advanced driving assistance (ADAS) system in China, reported Reuters, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Baidu’s engineers have teamed up with Tesla’s Beijing team to integrate Baidu’s mapping data with Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) Version 13 software.
This partnership aims to refine Tesla’s FSD V13 with more precise and current mapping information, essential for navigating Chinese roads.
The sources, who preferred anonymity, did not disclose the number of engineers involved or the duration of their stay at Tesla.
This collaboration emerges as Tesla faces data and regulatory hurdles from both Beijing and Washington, complicating the deployment of its autopilot and FSD systems in its second-largest market, China.
In May 2024, Tesla secured a mapping agreement with Baidu, signalling its commitment to introducing semi-autonomous driving technology in China.
Unlike in the US, where Tesla’s FSD system relies on local AI training rather than precise navigation maps, Tesla cannot train its system in China using data from its two million electric vehicles due to strict data laws.
This limitation has put Tesla under pressure from competitors like BYD and Xpeng, which offer more affordable vehicles and do not charge extra for similar software.
The Tesla-Baidu partnership could also provide a much-needed boost to Baidu, which has fallen behind rivals in AI and other initiatives.
This cooperation follows a software update in February that added urban navigation features to Tesla’s system in China but failed to meet CEO Elon Musk’s promise of a full FSD rollout.
Musk described this situation as a “quandary” during earnings call in January.
