Baidu Vice President Shang Guobin recently announced a collaboration with Tesla to integrate the latest version of Baidu Maps into Tesla vehicles in China. Since Tesla relies partly on map information for Autopilot and FSD, this move may get Tesla closer to launching FSD in China.
At the event last month, Baidu presented the latest version of Baidu Maps, which includes four different versions. They include Basic, 3D leading, 3D flagship and Smart Edition for ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). Tesla vehicles will receive the new “3D Leading” version from Baidu which features over 300 customized elements. Similar to the 3D version of Apple Maps and Google Maps, it includes 3D models for buildings, trees and information on roads and lanes. Baidu Maps is available for a variety of operating systems, including Android, iOS, and Linux.
Tesla has added a new 3D map view in update 2023.44.32 for China.
Instead of an image-based, overhead map view, these new maps show your vehicle as it moves through a 3D environment that visualizes lanes, buildings, trees and more.
Besides Tesla, BYD’s Vice President Guobin added that Baidu will also collaborate with Huawei and electric vehicle startup JiYue. Huwaei is involved in three well-known car brands in China including Avatr (with Changan and the battery giant CATL), Luxeed (with Chery) and Aito.
The addition of 3D maps being added in China could open up the door for Tesla to implement 3D maps from Apple or Google in other regions.
Apple Maps' 3D views
Not a Tesla App
Voice Assistant
Tesla recently added a voice assistant in China to replace the aging voice command system. Although the voice assistant is currently exclusive to China, Tesla is already working on voice assistant in English for other regions. Other languages are likely to follow.
FSD in China
It appears that China may be Tesla’s next FSD market. Elon Musk recently traveled to China to discuss FSD and how data would be gathered and stored. Musk also hinted at the possibility of Tesla offering FSD in China by saying, “It may be possible very soon” when he was asked about FSD arriving in China.
Baidu’s Robotaxi
Earlier this year, Baidu introduced a 24-hour operation for its Apollo Go service in select areas of Wuhan, China — becoming the first company in China to offer a 24/7 autonomous driving service.
Baidu’s journey in autonomous driving began in 2013 and, as of today, Baidu Apollo’s advanced autonomous driving systems have completed over 100 million kilometers (62 million miles) of testing and over 5,000 patents granted. In comparison, Tesla has about 1.3 billion miles driven on FSD, with 300 million miles traveled on FSD v12 alone.
Tesla Sales in China
Last year, Tesla remained the world's leading BEV brand, selling 1.8 million units while China’s BYD sold a total of 3.02 million new energy vehicles (NEV), of which 1.57 million were fully electric.
Tesla recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in China and has delivered more than 1.7 million cars since its first delivery of the Model S.
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Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
Not a Tesla App
The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
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