The world’s largest manufacturer of new energy vehicles, BYD, will invest the equivalent of about €13 billion in the development of smart cars.
The news, reported by ” Automotive News Europe“, reveals that the founder and CEO of the Chinese car manufacturer, Wang Chuanfu, did not provide a deadline or other details about the investment, but made it clear that, after electrification, smart systems will be the next battleground for the automotive sector.
Among the company’s 90,000 employees, about 4,000 are dedicated to intelligent driving, three-quarters of whom are programmers and the rest are equipment and algorithm engineers.
BYD plans to introduce its smart driving system, Xuanji, in its future models, which integrates technologies related to artificial intelligence (AI), fifth-generation networks (5G), or smart instrument panel functions, allowing the vehicle to perceive changes in the interior and exterior environment and make real-time adjustments to improve safety and comfort.
The system requires drivers to touch the steering wheel every 15 seconds and will be installed as standard in vehicles with more affordable prices. In addition, it will be available as an upgrade option for higher-end vehicles.
More than 57% of the vehicles BYD sold in 2023 were equipped with intelligent driving systems, and the company expects this number to increase in the current fiscal year, during which it will launch more than a dozen models equipped with LiDAR sensors.
