Chinese EV leader BYD is launching its new in-house smart driving tech next month. According to local reports, the advanced ADAS feature will roll out by the end of March.
BYD is launching its own smart driving tech
A report from LatePost (via CnEVPost) Monday claimed the first BYD city pilot assist driving feature will be available on March 30. BYD’s Denza N7 SUV will be the first of the auto giant’s 20+ lineup to receive the upgrade.
Citing sources close to the matter, the report says major cities like Shenzen (BYD’s headquarters) will be the first to see the feature rollout.
Up until last year, BYD’s sales have come mainly from mass-market models with little to no advanced driving features. However, premium EV makers like NIO, XPeng, Huawei, and Li Auto are providing smart driving tech features as standard.
With BYD entering the premium EV segment with brands like Yanwang and Fang Cheng Bao, the automaker is moving into smart driving tech.
BYD looks to produce the new tech in-house as it does with most components (a big reason behind its success).
The automaker revealed its Xuanji architecture last month. Meanwhile, CEO Wang Chuanfu said BYD’s smart driving team consists of over 4,000 members. NIO, Xpeng, and others have around 1K to 1.5K, in comparison.
BYD is investing $14 billion (RMB 100 billion) to become a leader in intelligent driving. Going forward, BYD vehicles above $42,000 (RMB 300,000) will include the new tech as standard. On lower-priced models like the Dolphin and Yuan Plus (Atto 3), the tech will be optional.
Wang said over 57% of BYD vehicle sales last year included smart driving systems. Although BYD previously outsourced the technology, bringing it in-house will save costs and development time.
Electrek’s Take
BYD is preparing to launch the Yangwang U7, its first ultra-luxury electric sedan, with nearly 1,300 hp and 500 miles (800 km) CLTC rang.
It will join the U8 off-roader, the luxury brand’s first vehicle launched in September. The premium SUV starts at over $150,000 (1,098,000 RMB) and will likely be a candidate for the new smart driving tech.
With the move into high-end vehicles, launching its own ADAS makes sense. BYD develops nearly all components in-house. Adding smart driving tech will help open new markets.
Like Tesla and Rivian are showing in the US, having integrated software stacks makes it easier to add fun features, range, fix bugs, and more. Rivian and Tesla constantly update vehicles via OTA updates.
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