With the coming driverless cars heat, Internet giants, such as Google and Baidu, and traditional carmakers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota, are all racing to a future of driverless cars. Now this field enters a new big player ----BYD, the world’s No.1 alternative energy car manufacturer.
According to Wang Chuanfu, President and Chairman of BYD, this Chinese domestic carmaker has been developing its self-driving technologies both in house as well as partner with Chinese Internet giant Baidu.
It’s noted that BYD’s partnership with Baidu will mainly focus on the mapservice needed for self-driving vehicles.
It’s clearly acknowledged that Self-driving cars hold great potentials,benefiting the development of multiple segments including assisted driving functions and laser radar. It’s reported that the global market of the Internet of Vehicles will expand to 300 billion rmb in only 3 to 5 years, driven by the development of driverless technologies. Under this background, IT companies and traditional carmakers home and abroad all raise their bets on self-driving vehicles.
By now, Google has readied its self-driving cars and now seeking cooperation with traditional carmakers and suppliers to accelerate promotions. Baidu’s driverless car has also successfully driving in a complicated trafficenvironment with city roads, ring roads and highways in China.
To be noted, Wang informed BYD has no intention to introduce full autonomous car for the time being. The company’s driverless car project is more like a research than a business move. BYD’s current goal is to take advantage of self-driving technologies to reduce car incidents and improve safety.
