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.
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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
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