Tesla Updates Autopilot in China, Owners Say It Falls Short of Expectations
Tesla introduced a long-anticipated update to its autopilot software in China on Tuesday, which included a city navigation feature. However, this update left Chinese owners dissatisfied as they felt it did not meet the expectations set by Elon Musk’s promises.
In a notice on its app, the American electric vehicle manufacturer indicated that features would encompass automatic lane changes based on speed and route, as well as identifying traffic signals at junctions and determining whether to make a turn. It was stated that a camera within the car would keep track of the driver’s focus.
The features resemble those provided by Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD), but they are less advanced than those available in the United States, owing to a lack of data training on Chinese roads and traffic rules, according to someone with direct knowledge of the situation.
FSD comprises a set of driving-assistance technologies designed with generative artificial intelligence to address more complex traffic situations, while Autopilot deals with more routine scenarios.
Musk aims to introduce full Autopilot and FSD systems in China, but he has noted that this endeavor is challenging because of technology restrictions from both the U.S. and Chinese governments. The company has moved the target date from the end of 2024 to this year.
Many users of Chinese social media expressed their disappointment with the update, stating that it failed to deliver the capabilities Tesla has promoted for years. They noted that competing Chinese car manufacturers provide comparable driver-assistance functions at no cost or a reduced price.
Lu Panpan, who owns a Tesla in the eastern Zhejiang province of China, stated that he paid 56,000 yuan ($7,720) for FSD software when purchasing his Long Range Model 3 in 2019. He expressed frustration over the lack of feature updates.
Lu stated, “It is clear that Tesla must provide a system with known limitations … .” “Tesla finds it difficult to keep pace with the smart-driving features of Chinese vehicles, a situation that seems even more illogical considering its high cost.”
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