Tesla has added a trip progress bar and traffic light countdown in China
Not a Tesla App
Tesla's latest software update, version 2023.44.100, has brought an innovative feature to its vehicles in China - a countdown for traffic lights. The update displays the traffic light status and the remaining seconds for the next intersection in navigation mode. The feature requires Tesla's premium connectivity.
The concept isn't entirely new; Audi introduced a similar technology years ago using vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies. Audi's Traffic Light Information system, part of Audi Connect PRIME, also offers a countdown for traffic lights and other benefits like recommended driving speeds for fuel conservation.
How Does It Work?
The functionality of Tesla's new feature is likely to be based on principles similar to Audi's TLI. It's speculated that Tesla might be using signals from traffic lights or government data accessed via the internet in China. This method would align with Audi's approach, where data on traffic light patterns is collected and analyzed to provide real-time updates to drivers.
The traffic light countdown is more than a convenience feature. It can improve traffic flow and reduce fuel consumption by advising drivers on optimal speeds and reducing unnecessary idling at traffic lights. Cities can use the aggregated data to optimize signal timing, further enhancing traffic management.
Trip Progress Bar
At the bottom of the photo, we can also see that Tesla has added a “progress bar” in the bottom navigation module that typically displays additional nav options and your estimated arrival time, distance to travel, and more. The progress is displayed with a red triangle marking the vehicle’s trip progress along the gray and blue line.
It seems that Tesla could add this feature to any additional regions in the future, as it doesn’t depend on any additional data, unlike the traffic light countdown.
The Future of Connected Driving
The adoption of 5G-powered cellular vehicle-to-everything technologies will enhance these systems. Such advancements could allow for near-instantaneous communication between vehicles and infrastructure, increasing driver safety and efficiency. There has been speculation of this before from Tesla when talk of the HELP system surfaced. Not only would it change the hazard light features, but if a Tesla encountered a hazard, it would alert other vehicles approaching the area of the danger.
Audi's journey in traffic management technology dates back to the mid-2000s with their Travolution project in Ingolstadt, Germany. This project involved direct wireless communication with traffic signals to relay information, significantly reducing time spent at traffic lights and decreasing fuel consumption. The expansion of Travolution to other cities and the evolution into TLI marked Audi's commitment to innovative traffic management solutions.
Introducing this technology will allow municipalities to improve traffic flow and pedestrian-friendly intersections. The continuous data exchange helps optimize traffic signal timings and reshape road layouts based on traffic patterns. For drivers, this translates to a smoother driving experience with fewer stops and starts, ultimately leading to more efficient and less stressful journeys.
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Tesla signaled its intention to launch its first Robotaxi network in Austin, Texas, with company-owned and operated vehicles, back in January. This network will be Tesla’s first foray into truly autonomous vehicles - ones that aren’t being directly supervised by a driver. Later in February, Tesla’s executive team confirmed that the plans were on track for the launch of the Austin network both on X and during several interviews that they participated in.
At the end of February, we also found out that Tesla has applied for a Supervised Robotaxi license in California, where the network will also launch, but with safety drivers in place.
This is an ambitious plan, but FSD has really come a long way in the past year. FSD V12 was a massive step forward from V11, and V13 has made the experience smoother and safer than ever before. FSD V14 is expected to be another big step up with auto-regressive transformers and audio input.
Still on Track
Now, Elon has tripled down on the fact that Tesla will be launching their first autonomous robotaxi network in Austin - just two months away at this point. It seems that Tesla is fully set to launch their first fully unsupervised self-driving vehicles that will carry paying passengers in June.
Additional Cities
The best part is that Elon also confirmed that they’re targeting robotaxi networks launching in many cities within the United States by the end of this year. However, remember that this will be a Tesla-run network at first - Tesla owners won’t be able to add their vehicles to the Robotaxi fleet right away.
Adding Customer Vehicles
It will take some time before Tesla meets their strict internal safety requirements before it lets customers add their own vehicles to the network. Tesla’s executive team mentioned that they intend to let owners add their own vehicles to the fleet sometime in 2026. This happens to be the same time frame that Tesla plans to launch the Robotaxi across the United States, Mexico, and Canada — something that could only be done with customer-owned cars.
That final step will be bold—and it may come with complications, especially given that autonomous vehicle approval spans municipal, state or provincial, and even federal levels. There are plenty of regulatory hurdles ahead, but this is undoubtedly shaping up to be one of the most exciting times for Tesla.
Launch Event
With the Robotaxi network launching and Unsupervised FSD just around the corner, there’s a lot to get excited about. Tesla is expected to host a launch event at Gigafactory Texas in Austin to mark the debut of its first Robotaxi network. The company previously hinted that referral code users could receive invites—offering a rare chance to score an early ride in a Robotaxi outside the Hollywood studio lot.
Tesla’s engineering mule vehicles—used to test autonomy for future platforms—have resurfaced after an extended absence. The last time we saw them was back in July, when Tesla was gearing up for its initial We, Robot event. Since then, sightings have been scarce.
These vehicles typically signal that Tesla is testing new camera placements or validating FSD ground-truth data. This time, however, they appear to be outfitted exclusively with the updated camera hardware seen on the Cybercab.
New Sightings
The mules have now been spotted in Boston, Massachusetts, and Concord, New Hampshire—their first known appearances this far east. This suggests Tesla is actively collecting data to evaluate and optimize FSD performance in new regions. Thanks to Reddit user Ready_Medium_6693 for catching the one in Concord.
Elon Musk recently mentioned that Tesla plans to expand Robotaxi networks beyond the initial Texas and California launches. So while these sightings aren’t entirely unexpected, the speed of their arrival is. It suggests Tesla is confident in its ability to train FSD for local traffic rules and driving behaviors to the point it no longer needs a driver.
Bumper Cameras
The vehicle that’s been spotted in Boston is the usual Tesla engineering Model 3… except with one unique twist. It includes a front bumper camera. Shout out to @Dylan02939106 for catching the bumper camera in these photos.
The Refreshed Model 3 Mule with a Bumper Camera!
@Dylan02939106 on X
We previously released an opinion piece regarding whether the front bumper camera would be required for Unsupervised FSD. In our eyes, Tesla will require a bumper camera for Unsupervised FSD - if only to improve direct visibility in the bumper area of the vehicle. This is key for low-speed maneuvering in crowded areas like parking lots and garages, as well as for key features like Actually Smart Summon.
It isn’t surprising that Tesla is continuing to evaluate vehicles with a bumper camera - the Cybertruck, Cybercab, and Refreshed Model Y all have them now - and the rest of the lineup, including the flagship Model S and X, as well as the refreshed Model 3 - were supposed to eventually receive them as well.
With the Model S and Model X set for refreshes this year—and the front bumper camera on this Model 3 looking well-integrated rather than a temporary setup—it seems likely that front bumper cameras will soon become standard across Tesla’s entire lineup.
The Robotaxi Mule in Boston
@Dylan02939106 on X
In fact, Tesla’s newest iteration of the FSD computer has a slot for the Bumper Camera on all AI4/HW4 vehicles, so a future retrofit could even be possible.
These are some pretty exciting times - we may see Robotaxi networks actually deploy in time for Tesla’s lofty goal of “sometime in 2026” for cities throughout North America. Once many American cities begin to accept their deployment, it will be easier to seek homologation in Mexico and Canada, enabling deployment throughout the continent.
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