(Yicai) Feb. 25 -- Tesla is upgrading its autopilot feature in China to bring its local offering closer to the full self-driving suite available in the United States.

Following the update, the navigate-on-autopilot mode will be able to change lanes automatically on urban roads, detect traffic lights, and make turning decisions, Tesla China announced today. Additionally, a map package has been upgraded along with an in-car camera to monitor driver attention. The updates are being rolled out over the air in batches and will gradually expand to more models.

Tesla's FSD is designed for complex traffic conditions, whereas autopilot handles more routine situations.

Bloomberg reported yesterday, citing an insider, that Tesla is preparing a software update for customers in China to offer driver-assistance capabilities similar to its FSD features in the US. These capabilities will be deployed to customers who have pre-ordered FSD for CNY64,000 (USD8,830), it added.

The American electric vehicle giant has been working to introduce FSD to the Chinese market since last year, including Chief Executive Elon Musk's visit to China last April to promote it. Last September, Tesla announced on X that it would launch FSD capabilities in China and Europe in the first quarter of 2025, subject to local regulatory approvals.

Since the beginning of this year, competition among Chinese smart car manufacturers has intensified. Shenzhen-based EV giant BYD announced that it would equip all its models with intelligent driving functions, including entry-level models priced below CNY100,000 (USD13,774), to give more users access to next-generation technologies.

Last year, BYD sold more than 4.2 million EVs worldwide, an increase of 41 percent from 2023, ranking first globally for the third consecutive year, while Tesla's global sales declined 1 percent to 1.8 million units.

Editor: Emmi Laine