Tesla now says it needs its own maps for FSD after years of dismissing maps

Tesla says it’s building its own maps to fix some of the most common problems with its “Full Self-Driving” system, including reading speed limits, parking, and choosing routes. The company’s head of AI described the effort on Tesla’s Q3 2026 earnings call. It’s a notable shift for a company whose CEO spent years arguing that self-driving systems relying on maps are brittle. And it shows Tesla’s fleet is now doing the same job Waymo’s cars do: mapping the roads so the self-driving system knows wh