China's automated-driving market is heating up as Geely and Baidu launch their joint venture, introducing the Jiyue 01, the first electric vehicle from their collaboration. This sport-utility vehicle (SUV) is equipped with Baidu's Apollo platform, which has been in development for a decade and has been used on driverless vehicles since 2016. While the Jiyue 01 still uses a high-precision map for assisted driving, it is moving towards a pure-vision approach, relying mostly on cameras to assess the surrounding environment. This mirrors Tesla's strategy of eschewing costlier Lidars and ultrasonic radars.
Luo Gang, the Chief Operating Officer of the Geely-Baidu Jiyue venture, believes that their joint venture has an edge over Tesla. While acknowledging Tesla as a pioneer and sales leader in the intelligent car market, Luo stated that Jiyue 01 surpasses the Model Y in terms of handling and user interface, as well as space, design, and interiors. Tesla's Model Y, one of the top-selling electric vehicles, does not offer its Full Self-Driving system in the Chinese market, allowing Geely and Baidu to capitalize on this opportunity.
China, being the world's largest electric vehicle market, has attracted numerous brands striving to stand out with cutting-edge technologies. Geely-Baidu now joins the competition, alongside Xpeng Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co., with their sophisticated automated-driving systems that enable vehicles to navigate independently and park themselves. However, the legal responsibility in the event of an accident remains undefined in Chinese law, and most manufacturers are cautious, sticking to Level 2 technology, where a human driver is required to be behind the steering wheel, responsible for control at all times.
The Jiyue 01 is equipped with a battery from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the world's largest cell maker, offering an impressive range of up to 720 kilometers (450 miles). Priced at 249,900 yuan ($34,150), the Jiyue 01 is slightly cheaper than Huawei's Aito M5, which starts at 259,800 yuan. It is also competitively priced compared to Tesla's Model Y and Xpeng's G9 SUV, which start at 263,900 yuan.
The Jiyue 01 also boasts unique features such as the ability to process voice commands for various functions, including opening windows and playing videos. What sets it apart is that these services can operate without an internet connection, providing a convenient and seamless user experience.
The journey to market for the Jiyue 01 was not without obstacles. The launch was delayed due to the government's tightening issuance of EV production licenses. Beijing initially provided subsidies, fueling rapid industry growth, but later reduced support and limited the number of new entrants. To overcome this hurdle, Geely, which has a manufacturing permit, established the Jiyue joint venture in August, holding the majority stake with 35% owned by Baidu.
With the launch of the Jiyue 01, Geely and Baidu are poised to challenge Tesla's dominance in China's automated-driving scene. As the competition intensifies, it will drive innovation and push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology, benefiting consumers and further advancing China's position as a leader in the electric vehicle market.