Tesla’s latest Autopilot update in China added a city navigation feature on Tuesday, but many owners were disappointed, saying it fell short of Elon Musk’s promises.
Tesla announced in its app that the update includes automatic lane changes based on speed and route, traffic light detection for turns at intersections, and an in-car camera to monitor driver attention.
Tesla’s new features resemble its “Full Self-Driving” but are less advanced in China due to limited data training on local roads and traffic rules, a source said.
While FSD uses generative AI for complex traffic, Autopilot focuses on routine driving.
Musk aims to bring full Autopilot and FSD to China but says the effort is challenging due to tech restrictions from both U.S. and Chinese governments.
Tesla has pushed its initial end-2024 target to this year.
Many Chinese social media users expressed disappointment with the update, saying it didn’t deliver the capabilities Tesla has advertised for years.
They also noted that rival Chinese automakers offer similar driver-assistance features at a lower cost or for free.
Lu Panpan, a Tesla owner in Zhejiang province, China, said he paid 56,000 yuan ($7,720) for FSD software when he bought his Long Range Model 3 in 2019 but has been frustrated by the lack of feature updates since then.
“We can tell Tesla has no choice but to deliver a knowingly restricted system … ,” said Lu. “It is hard for Tesla to catch up with the smart-driving capabilities in Chinese cars, which even makes less sense given its high pricing.”
The delays in rolling out a full FSD system in China have put Tesla at a disadvantage compared to Chinese rivals like Huawei, Xiaomi, and BYD, which have released multiple EVs with advanced smart-driving software capable of handling China’s complex city traffic.
