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.
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:
Speed limit of the section of the road
Your Tesla’s average speed in that particular section, and
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
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.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
According to a new report from Business Insider, Tesla is planning a week-long production pause for the Cybertruck and Model Y lines at Giga Texas. On the surface, the reason seems pretty straightforward: maintenance and line upgrades.
But Tesla has been infamous for never shutting down lines unless it's an absolute production necessity. Given that this is the third production pause in the last 12 months, this suggests that Tesla is planning something other than routine maintenance.
Official Story
The facts, as reported by BI, are fairly straightforward. Tesla will be shutting down the Model Y and Cybertruck lines from June 30th to July 4th. In a staff meeting at Giga Texas, Tesla stated that the pause would enable maintenance and upgrades to help ramp up production.
While this could seem odd for the recently updated Model Y and Cybertruck lines, it also makes sense as Tesla continuously makes production improvements, rather than waiting for model year updates.
There definitely feels like there’s more to this story than a simple pause, but the timing and context suggest this pause is far more significant.
The Affordable Model
The key to this shutdown is Tesla’s strategy for its more affordable model. Tesla has pivoted away from building Giga Mexico, and is instead planning to build both the Cybercab with its unboxed assembly process, as well as the next-gen affordable vehicle at Giga Texas.
For now, Tesla plans to build the affordable model based on existing production lines within Giga Texas, rather than build a standalone line. This is mostly because Tesla intends for the affordable model to have a high part familiarity with the Model 3 and Model Y.
The Model Y line, in particular, is the prime candidate for this retooling. It is Tesla's most refined high-volume production line, and the tooling and equipment on the line are perfectly suited to enable Tesla’s quick transition to producing the new model.
A week-long shutdown is not enough time for a complete overhaul, but it is the perfect window to begin preparatory work. This could include installing new mounting points for future robotics, rerouting utilities, or even running initial trials for new assembly processes in a portion of the line.
Timing is Everything
This theory makes even more sense in the context of recent events. The cheaper model was initially planned for the first half of 2025, but following reported delays, the timing seems right for Tesla to start incorporating changes to support the new vehicle. While Tesla initially planned for a cheaper model to be based on the Cybercab with its unboxed assembly, they decided to produce one based on the current assembly line to get to market sooner. This isn’t the cheaper, “$25k” vehicle we were all hoping for, but instead a more affordable version of the Model 3 or Model Y.
While the Cybertruck line is likely undergoing standard ramp-up tweaks, the shutdown of the Model Y line likely presents something more. While it could also include maintenance and incorporate updated tools, it may include changes required for the newer model.
More Than Maintenance
While the official reason reported by Business Insider seems fairly plausible, there’s always more under the surface when it comes to major decisions like this with Tesla. Using the planned maintenance window to quietly begin the process of retooling is the kind of move we expect from Tesla.
Just days before Tesla’s planned launch of the Robotaxi network in Austin, a group of local lawmakers has sent a letter to Tesla, urging them to delay the launch. Citing a new state law set to take effect on September 1st, the letter asks Tesla to pause its launch until it can formally comply with the new framework.
On the surface, this could sound like a significant roadblock. However, upon closer examination of the lawmaker’s concerns, the requirements of the new law, and the upcoming unified federal autonomy regulations, the request may be more political theater than a genuine obstacle.
In fact, Tesla’s Robotaxi service appears to already meet the spirit—and likely the letter—of the upcoming regulatory framework.
The Letter and the Law
The letter, penned by State Senator Sarah Eckhardt, formally requests that Tesla postpone its planned Robotaxi launch this month until the new and more comprehensive autonomous vehicle law is in effect on September 1st. It's important to note that this isn’t a legal injunction; it doesn’t have any power, and Tesla is under no obligation to comply or even reply. The letter is a formal request, a piece of political pressure intended to encourage proactive compliance.
So, what does this new law demand? It has five key requirements for autonomous vehicle operation in Texas.
Barely A Speed Bump
A detailed look reveals that Tesla's existing technology and practices likely already meet every single requirement of the upcoming regulations, so let’s dive in.
1) Capable of operating in compliance with state traffic laws.
This is the fundamental purpose of FSD - complying with traffic laws to get a passenger from Point A to Point B. The system is designed to adhere to traffic laws, and in fact, sometimes sticks to them too closely (like the NHTSA stop).
2) Equipped with a recording device.
This is probably the easiest requirement when you look at a Tesla. Every vehicle is a rolling 360-degree security suite, equipped with multiple cameras and internal sensors that document every action taken by the vehicle.
3) Compliant with federal law, including federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Tesla is currently deploying Model Ys for its Robotaxi network pilot, which means that they are fully compliant with FMVSS standards. This will likely change once Cybercab begins to deploy, but the NHTSA is working on accelerating federal regulation for vehicles without driver controls in the near future.
4) Capable of achieving a “minimal risk condition” if the automated system is rendered inoperable.
When the system detects a critical fault or issue it cannot handle, it must slow down, activate hazard lights, and pull over to a safe location at the side of the road. That is very doable, and likely within Tesla’s calculations for how they will handle system aborts and other incidents. In fact, the Model Y robotaxis with a safety driver in the passenger seat have been spotted with buttons on the screen that say “Emergency Stop” and “Pullover.”
5) Registered, Titled, and Insured under Texas law.
This is a bog-standard requirement. Every vehicle operator must meet those three requirements, and as Tesla’s Model Ys currently driving the roads in Austin are sporting manufacturer plates, this is likely already done.
While these Texas lawmakers are asking for a pause, the NHTSA is actively working to make it easier for companies like Tesla to deploy autonomous vehicles. This state-level scrutiny, while perhaps well-intentioned, is a clear example of the challenge of deploying a national network under fragmented regulations.
Ultimately, this letter is unlikely to be anything more than a political statement. It will be logged and acknowledged, but it presents no new technical or legal hurdles for Tesla to clear before its planned launch. For an autonomous future, this isn't even a bump in the road.
![Tesla Launches 'TeslaVision' Contest With Big Prizes — See Last Year’s Winner [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/2025/tesla-vision.webp/0458df1c6ed085c427608f0cf762de64/tesla-vision.jpg)
