Automakers in China are putting a lot of money into assisted driving technology, with Baidu and Geely among those rushing to gamble on making assisted driving a reality.
Jidu, an electric vehicle venture controlled by Baidu and co-funded by Chinese automaker Geely, unveiled a concept car that it claims is 90% of what buyers would purchase for around $30,000 next year.
Joe Xia, the CEO of the joint venture, established almost a year ago after Baidu and Geely agreed to a partnership, recently said: “It’s a car, and, even more so, a robot. We use a concept car to quickly prove our early-stage design and idea.”
While explaining the prototype of Jidu’s first vehicle, the CEO said the dashboard has been replaced with a long screen that spans the front of the car, and cockpit buttons have been removed because the driver can utilise voice control instead.
This futuristic-looking, largely autonomous hatchback, is called Robo-1. According to the company, it will cost at least $30,000 and go on sale next year, according to the business.
Xia also noted that Jidu may become the gold standard for self-driving automobiles. But it did not share more details about what level of assistance driving software would be included with the vehicle.
However, according to reports, the vehicle is loaded with sensors, including a lidar that rises up from the hood when activated and maps the road ahead in 3D.
Jidu has also claimed that the final model of the Robo-1 will be 90% identical to the one demonstrated in Beijing, although it does not disclose what aspects may alter.
Jidu’s vehicle is expected to employ a customised version of Apollo, an open platform built by Baidu and numerous partners that is used by dozens of carmakers in China. It was also said that the upcoming car will be able to drive itself on most roads while being supervised by a driver.
As of April, Baidu claims Apollo has amassed over 16.7 million miles of supervised autonomous driving. Xia compares the computational capacity used by Baidu to train autonomous driving algorithms to the dedicated supercomputer used by Tesla to perfect its software, Autopilot.
Additionally, Jidu claimed that it will strive to improve the car’s features on a regular basis by providing regular software upgrades via a mobile connection.
It is understood that Baidu’s foray into automaking with Jidu is also an indication of China’s IT industry’s growth. Experts believe that consumers anticipate an app-like experience in their automobiles, and most of China’s large internet businesses are creating automotive technology in some fashion.
It is noteworthy that Baidu’s foray into EV is part of CEO Robin Li’s effort to shift the company’s focus away from advertising and into new growth areas such as autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
There is a growing trend in China of technology businesses entering the EV market.
Xiaomi said last year that it plans to invest $10 billion in its own electric car industry over the next 10 years, with hopes to begin mass production in the first half of 2024. Meanwhile, telecommunications behemoth Huawei has been collaborating with manufacturers on issues like in-car software and autonomous driving.
While Chinese regulators have yet to permit fully self-driving cars on most roads, companies such as Baidu and others are amassing data through their robotaxi operations. Such data can help improve algorithms for self-driving technology while also establishing a track record to support potential regulatory changes.
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