NextFin News — Tesla China on Friday began rolling out software version 2026.14.13 that introduces ByteDance’s Doubao large model as an in-car voice assistant.
The update reaches Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X vehicles in batches and places Doubao as a standalone application on the vehicle system. Owners gain access to real-time information queries, natural conversations, storytelling, English practice and debate functions, supported by multiple voice tones and personalized roles such as “Know-it-all,” “Music Lover” and “Storyteller.” Use of the feature requires an active Premium Connectivity subscription. Tesla’s release notes state the model supplies real-time information and sustains fluent dialogue; informed sources confirmed the service has completed regulatory filing and is already live on newly delivered cars plus selected earlier models.
This marks the first integration of a third-party large language model into Tesla’s China-market vehicles. The deployment follows earlier cooperation with ByteDance’s Volcano Engine and positions Doubao to handle voice interaction tasks while the company continues broader localization of its cabin software. Additional changes in the same update include security fixes and a new pet mode, yet the Doubao addition constitutes the principal functional expansion for Chinese owners.
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