China AV Newsletter - Apr. 2024

Beijing Auto Show showed the amazing progress of Chinese OEMs and their absolute dominance in the EV sector. Moreover, exciting new technologies were announced, from autonomous features that became a standard in the premium segment and up to flying cars – yes indeed! FLYING by Xpeng. Beyond the show that ended in the beginning of May few days ago, during April we experienced a new shift as global OEMs are reaching China for technology, as did Toyota with Huawei and Momenta, VW and Daimler are following a similar strategy.

Enjoy reading~

China AV Newsletter - Apr. 2024

Apr.1st: IM Motors announced that it has launched the public beta test of "Mapless City NOA" in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Suzhou, to the public. According to the plan, in the middle of this year, IM Motors will officially launch the IM AD Mapless City NOA. In January this year, IM Motors has already launched the first city NOA in Shanghai.

Apr.7th: DiDi and GAC Aion announced a joint venture, the new company is called Guangzhou AnDi TechnologyCo. and has been approved for an industrial and commercial license. AnDi technology is headquartered in Huangpu, Guangzhou, while GAC Aion and DiDi each holds 50% shares. It is worth noting that AnDi Technology is the first joint venture company established in China between an L4 autonomous driving company and a car company in order to build a Robotaxi production vehicle.

Apr.7th: HESAI Technology announced that it has officially reached a cooperation with GAC. The two plan in-depth synergies jointly create new autonomous driving products.

Apr.9th: Sources said that Toyota's next global model of intelligent driving program will adopt “Toyota + Huawei + Momenta” three-party joint model. The program is different from Huawei's existing ADS high-level assisted driving system, autonomous driving company Momenta and Huawei will provide software and hardware solutions, respectively, to realize the deep cooperation and integration between the three parties.

Apr.12th: The Hebei Provincial Department of Transportation, the Hebei Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the Hebei Provincial Department of Public Security jointly issued an announcement that the Langfang section of the G2 Beijing-Shanghai Expressway in Hebei is officially used to carry out road testing and demonstration applications of intelligent networked vehicles. According to public information, Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway is the first cross-provincial road that supports vehicle-road cooperative autonomous driving test.

Apr.12th: GAC has announced the launch of its Mapless Pure Vision Intelligent Driving System, which is scheduled to be installed in vehicles in 2026 to realize advanced intelligent driving. GAC's Mapless Pure Vision Intelligent Driving System has three core capabilities in visual recognition: the ability to accurately understand complex traffic roads, superb traffic signal recognition, and the ability to handle complex and changing scenes. Perception range covers 150+ meters to the front, 100 meters behind the vehicle and 50 meters to both sides.

Apr.15th: RoboSense announced the MX, a new generation of medium and long range LiDARs on its M platform. Qiu Chunchao, CEO of RoboSense, said that the MX will be mass-produced in target price below $200 for its first project. Expecting further optimization of production yields and support of upstream supply chain, in the next 1-2 years the final price of MX is expected to drop to ~150$ (1000RMB). According to the report, MX has been awarded three new mass production projects, starting in the first half of 2025.

Apr.18th: China FAW and DJI signed a strategic cooperation agreement on intelligent driving. According to the agreement, the two sides will open comprehensive strategic cooperation in autonomous driving development, focusing on combining their respective professional advantages in the R&D process of Red Flag models.

Apr.19th: HESAI officially released ATX, an ultra-wide-angle and long-range LiDAR based on its fourth-generation chip architecture. ATX inherits AT older platform, though carries a new 4th gen chip architecture, upgraded the design of the optical machine and the laser transceiver module, which reduces the size of the sensor by 60% and the weight by 50% compared with AT128. In addition to the size and wight improvements, the new sensor provides longer detecting distance, better resolution and a wider field of view reaching 140 degrees horizontally. ATX has already gained several mass production orders and is expected to begin mass production in Q1 2025.

Beijing Auto Show 2024

The annual Auto Show served as a platform for showcasing the latest innovations and trends in the automotive industry, with a notable emphasis on the advancements made by local Chinese OEMs over Western brands. From electric vehicles to advanced autonomous features, Chinese manufacturers demonstrated their competitive edge and commitment to innovation, reflecting China's growing influence in the global automotive market spearheading the development of safety, autonomy and infotainment systems. Here are several key points:

1.     Advancement of Local Chinese OEMs:

Domestic Chinese automakers, including Nio, Xpeng, LiXiang, BYD, MG, and Xiaomi, unveiled their latest electric vehicle offerings, showcasing advancements in battery technology, range, and performance. These vehicles highlighted the competitive edge of Chinese manufacturers in the EV segment and their ability to innovate in response to consumer demand.

2.     Concept Cars and Technological Innovations:

Chinese automakers showcased futuristic concept cars equipped with advanced technologies such as autonomous driving systems and augmented reality displays. These innovations demonstrated the technological prowess of Chinese OEMs and their commitment to shaping the future of automotive mobility. Moreover, Xpeng revealed its first model of flying car.

3.     Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Solutions:

Chinese manufacturers emphasized their commitment to environmental sustainability by unveiling electric vehicles and promoting eco-friendly transportation solutions. These efforts reflected China's leadership in addressing climate change and air pollution concerns, showcasing the role of local OEMs in driving innovation in the automotive sector. China suffers from severe air pollution, though air quality improves every year due to various efforts including the transformation to EV based on clean energy.

4.     Challenges and Opportunities:

Despite facing challenges such as supply chain disruptions and regulatory uncertainties, Chinese OEMs demonstrated resilience and adaptability at the show. Their ability to innovate and compete on a global scale highlighted the opportunities for further growth and advancement in the Chinese automotive industry. Scarcity of components including AI domain control chips, is one of the major issues emerged during the trade war with US in recent years. Local OEMs develop some components themselves or priorities local suppliers which pushed ahead vendors as Horizon Robotics, Cambricon and others.

Sources: IM Motors; DiDi; Global Times; Automotive News EU; GAC Aion; CGNT; Car and Driver; Hesai; Toyota; Huawei; Momenta; Gasgoo; Xpeng; NIO; LiAuto; Xiaomi;