Tesla Adds Beautiful New 3D Maps in Chinese New Year Update

Tesla has added 3D navigation maps in China

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Tesla Adds Beautiful New 3D Maps in Chinese New Year Update

Tesla recently released a new update in China for the Chinese New Year. The update is version 2023.44.32 and introduces several new features that are debuting in China first. While some of the features may remain exclusive to the Chinese market, we're hopeful others will be adapted for use outside of China.

3D Maps

One of the biggest additions in the New Year update is the inclusion of new 3D maps. While Tesla relies on Google for a lot of map information that is used in most of the world, in China, Tesla leverages map data from the Chinese tech company Baidu.

The new 3D maps use a more zoomed-in view and include more detail such as the number of lanes on a road, lane markers, speed limit information, and 3D buildings. At the top corner of the display, the driver can switch between the traditional overhead map view or the new 3D format.

The 3D maps mimic the FSD visualizations in a lot of ways. While FSD visualizations are less detailed, they are rendered in real-time and display information such as pedestrians and vehicles, while the 3D maps offer stunning, detailed views of the surrounding roads.

We're unlikely to see these Baidu-powered maps outside of China, but Google and Apple do offer similar 3D maps in many parts of the world that include lane information, 3D buildings, and more.

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.

It’s very similar to FSD visualizations… pic.twitter.com/Qke0uP3Wcy

— Not a Tesla App (@NotATeslaApp) January 25, 2024

Future Maps

While the new 3D maps almost look duplicative of the FSD visualizations, they may provide a hint at where Tesla is headed next.

If we look back at the original Cybertruck UI, we see that Tesla was experimenting with blending map data with FSD visualizations. In the prototype UI, Tesla added vehicle visualizations directly onto a 3D map and merged real-time information such as vehicles, pedestrians, and traffic lights with map data. The map data allowed the UI to include detailed views of the roads, 3D buildings and the navigation’ suggested path.

Number of Superchargers

In addition to the new 3D maps, Tesla also added another feature that aims to reduce range anxiety and offer more information about charging.

A module on the screen will now display the number of charging stations available at the next two service areas.

Zone Limit Speed Reminder

In China, there are road sections that have speed limits that are automatically measured. However, instead of determining the vehicle's speed at a given point in time, they measure the vehicle's average speed over that section of road.

If the vehicle's average speed is higher than the stated speed then the owner could be issued a ticket. To help make drivers aware of their average speed on these road, Tesla added a vehicle module that will display:

1. Speed limit of the section of the road

2. Your Tesla’s average speed in that particular section, and

3. How much distance is remaining for this section to end.

You need to have the Online Route Planning feature under Controls > Navigation enabled for this to work. This feature makes it clearer whether your average speed is over the limit.

Lower Volume Reversing

Next up in Tesla's Chinese New Year update is a feature that may be added globally. This new feature automatically lowers all media volume while the vehicle is reversing, letting the driver focus on the road.

The media volume automatically goes back to the previous level when the car is moved out of reverse. This new feature is optional and can be enabled under Controls > Safety > Lower volume while reversing.

Tesla Adds Beautiful New 3D Maps in Chinese New Year Update

Details:https://t.co/rg2OoLIPZF pic.twitter.com/MbII86Cqrz

— Not a Tesla App (@NotATeslaApp) February 9, 2024

Unlock Supercharger Parking Spots

In China, Tesla has physical ground locks on certain Superchargers that prevent vehicles from parking there unless they're charging. While this prevents things like ICEing, it adds the inconvenience of the Tesla driver having to open the Tesla app and choose a parking spot to unlock.

Tesla is now building this functionality directly into the vehicle, preventing the driver from having to pull out their phone at all.

Improved Voice Commands

In China, users have also received additional voice commands, including the ability to control windows, control light and dark mode in the vehicle, and show/hide song lyrics. China also recently added a smart voice assistant.

Chinese users also received apps that have been available in other regions for some time such as the newer Energy app, the synchronized light show as well as improvements to existing China-exclusive apps such as QQ Music.

While the majority of these features will remain exclusive to China, we may see a couple of them added to all vehicles in the future.

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Tesla Update 2025.20 Tear Down Reveals Grok Personalities and Icons

@greentheonly on X

While most automakers are adding basic and un-integrated AI assistants to their vehicles, Tesla appears to be working hand-in-hand with xAI to build out an entire cast of characters for in-vehicle Grok. In the latest dive into Tesla’s firmware, Tesla hacker @greentheonly uncovered a few new details about the upcoming Grok feature.

This discovery, part of a larger batch of changes found in Tesla update 2025.20, also offers a hint at the hardware required for the Grok.

A Dozen Groks

While we knew from previous firmware teardowns that Tesla was adding various Grok personalities to the vehicle UI, this update introduces a new one called Language Tutor, which may allow users to learn and practice a new language. 

These are the different personas that will be included in Grok:

• Argumentative

• Assistant

• Conspiracy

• Doctor

• Kids’ Stories

• Kids’ Trivia Games

• Meditation

• Motivation

• Romantic

• Sexy

• Storyteller

• Therapist

• Language Tutor

• and the Grok Classic - Unhinged Mode

Release Date

Icons for these personalities have been added to the firmware for the first time, leading us to think Tesla is getting close to releasing the feature. However, even after the feature is developed and included in vehicle software, Tesla may only enable it selectively — such as for select employees for testing.

Grok is expected to be one of the largest vehicle features added via a software update, so it’ll be a big deal when it’s finally released. While we know more or less what to expect from Grok, what we don’t know is about vehicle requirements or whether it’ll require a subscription beyond Premium Connectivity.

Grok Requirements

While subscriptions required are anyone’s guess, vehicle requirements may be a little clearer now, thanks to Green’s discovery that Grok is only being added to AMD-based vehicle software builds.

Unfortunately, this likely means that older, Intel-based vehicles will not receive Grok support, at least for the time being. When Tesla introduced a voice assistant in China, they also started off with AMD-only support but later added Intel support, so it’s possible that the same could happen with Grok.

Energy Saving

Green also found a new undocumented navigation feature in 2025.20.3. This one focuses on leveraging Tesla’s vast amounts of data in an interesting way and offers drivers proactive advice to save energy on a well-traveled route. 

In the Energy App, your vehicle will display, “This route is typically driven at X mph. Slow down by Y mph to save Z% for the rest of this trip.’ 

As you can see in the photo below, Tesla recognizes that vehicles typically drive at 66 mph on the route being driven and offers the driver the option to go five mph slower to save 1% of range. While this example doesn’t provide much incentive to slow down, it could be useful for someone with a low state of charge or if the savings are more significant.

The new line in the Energy App

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In the future, Tesla could even use this, alongside the road surface data they’re gathering, to help plan routes for Robotaxi and Unsupervised FSD.

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NHTSA to Streamline Approvals for Control-Free Vehicles Like Tesla’s Cybercab

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In a letter to industry, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that it is overhauling its approvals process for vehicles designed without human controls.

The change addresses a regulatory bottleneck that has slowed down American companies like Tesla from deploying purpose-built Robotaxis, rather than relying on using traditional vehicles with steering wheels and pedals. The policy shift is outlined in a letter posted to the NHTSA’s website, which you can find here.

Reducing Approvals From Years to Months

Under the existing rules today, any vehicle that is built without a steering wheel or brake pedals must receive a special exemption from federal safety standards.

Obtaining exemptions for a particular vehicle was a time-consuming process for both the companies requesting exemptions and the NHTSA. The process was often a black box—nobody knew when an exemption might be granted, and approvals could take years.

The NHTSA, under the new administration’s guidelines for autonomous vehicle development, is now committed to streamlining this process. The agency will be implementing a new, faster approach immediately for receiving exemptions for autonomous vehicles without standard controls. The NHTSA expects decisions on exemption requests to be determined within months rather than years. 

Accelerating the Cybercab

This change has massive implications for Tesla, which is banking on the production of the simplified and easy-to-maintain purpose-built Cybercab. The Cybercab is developed from the ground up as an autonomous Robotaxi and will be one of the key beneficiaries of this move by the NHTSA.

Knowing that a final design won't be caught in a multi-year regulatory limbo provides a level of certainty that has been missing. It allows Tesla to confidently plan the manufacturing, development, and deployment processes without worrying whether the project will get stuck in regulatory approvals.

According to the letter, the agency will publish its improved instructions for the streamlined process "shortly." With Tesla already having begun Cybercab pre-production and the goals for its deployment as soon as late 2026, there’s still a lot to be done to make autonomy a part of Tesla’s new sustainable abundance mission statement.

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