fbpx

Type to search

Tesla Signs Deal With Baidu on China Roads Mapping Data

Sources say the agreement with China’s top internet firm on use of its data on China’s public roads clears a final regulatory hurdle for Tesla’s driver assistance system.


A truck loaded with new Tesla cars is seen at its factory in Shanghai, in this Reuters image from May 2021.

 

Tesla has reached a deal on a licence to use mapping data provided by Baidu, sources have revealed.

The agreement with China’s top internet firm on use of its data on China’s public roads clears a final regulatory hurdle for Tesla’s driver assistance system.

The deal will also provide Tesla with a lane-level navigation system, so its Full Self Driving (FSD) system can be offered in China, two sources said.

 

ALSO SEE: China-Russia Trade ‘Goes Underground’ as Big Banks Pull Back

 

The deal was struck recently and comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s visit to China and met with Premier Li Qiang.

Musk is seeking approvals for the FSD software rollout in China and permission to transfer data overseas during his meetings with Chinese officials.

In China, all intelligent driving systems are required to obtain a mapping qualification before they can operate on public roads.

Foreign firms need to partner with domestic companies that have obtained the licence. Baidu is among a dozen companies that have secured one.

With the mapping service licence, Tesla will be permitted to legally operate its FSD software on Chinese roads and its fleets can gather data about the vehicle’s surroundings, such as road layouts, traffic signs, and nearby buildings.

It is not immediately clear whether the collected data will belong to Tesla or Baidu.

Baidu and Tesla’s partnership dates back to early 2020, with Tesla already using Baidu’s navigation map, similar to what’s available on smartphones, in its vehicles in China.

On April 20, Baidu held a news conference announcing collaborations with several companies, including Tesla, although the FSD feature was not specifically mentioned.

 

  • Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard

 

ALSO SEE:

Tesla Profit Plunges, But Stock Jumps on Vow of ‘Affordable’ Cars

Tesla to Axe 10% of Workforce as Dipping Sales, Price War Bite

Tesla Searching For $2-3 Billion India EV Factory Site: FT

‘Unhinged’ Musk ‘Driving Away Potential Tesla Buyers’ – Reuters

BYD’s EV Victory Over Tesla May Be Short-Lived As Sales Cool

Tesla Eyes Southeast Asia’s EV Boom But Faces China Challenge

Apple, Tesla See China Sales Plunge as Local Rivals Catch Up

China’s Baidu Says Robotaxis Cheaper Than Human-Driven Cabs by 2025

Jim Pollard

Jim Pollard is an Australian journalist based in Thailand since 1999. He worked for News Ltd papers in Sydney, Perth, London and Melbourne before travelling through SE Asia in the late 90s. He was a senior editor at The Nation for 17+ years.