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China’s BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, is to offer automated driving systems in nearly all its cars, in a move seen as a major step toward making such systems accessible to drivers.
BYD’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), called God’s Eye, is to be integrated into at least 21 models including the Seagull budget hatchback priced as low as 69,800 yuan ($9,555, £7,724).
The system includes such features as automated navigation on motorways and self-parking via a smartphone app, BYD said.
God’s Eye “will mark a new era when all customers can access smart driving”, said BYD founder and chairman Wang Chanfu at the company’s Shenzhen headquarters on Monday.
Cost-cutting
Advanced driver-assistance systems are “no longer an unattainable luxury, but an essential tool… like safety belts and airbags,” he said.
The system was developed by 5,000 engineers over the past seven years, said Wang.
Investor anticipation of the announcement drove BYD’s Hong Kong-listed shares up by 21 percent over five sessions last week.
In China, where electric vehicles have become a mainstream technology with more than 50 percent of car sales, most ADAS-equipped vehicles currently cost above 150,000 yuan.
Vehicles with Level 2 partial automation features accounted for only about 8.5 percent of car sales in China last year, according to S&P Global Mobility research.
BYD has become the EV leader in mainland China and the world through aggressive cost optimisation, but has lagged rivals such as Nio and Xpeng in automation features.
‘Firm belief’
Wang said that would change.
“BYD has a firm belief in smart driving and has been unswervingly delving into this area,” he said.
Huawei Technologies, a new entrant into EVs with its joint venture Aito, is also viewed as a leader in driving automation.
US-based Tesla is still negotiating with regulators on launching its Full-Self Driving on the Chinese mainland and is expected to begin tests this year.
