BYD’s Han electric automotive, pictured here on the 2021 Shanghai auto show, is one of the vital popular latest energy vehicles in China.
Evelyn Cheng | CNBC
SHENZHEN, China — Electric vehicle giant BYD is banking on latest driver-assist technology to smooth out automotive rides.
BYD, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, announced Monday a latest technological system for stabilizing automotive rides through rugged terrain, sharp turns and even shallow water. The shock absorption tech is ready to be a feature of the corporate’s recently launched premium brand Yangwang.
“Traditionally, luxury cars were determined by brand and history. For luxury latest energy vehicles, it is a matter of what tech and products,” BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said in Mandarin at a launch event Monday, in accordance with a CNBC translation.
He claimed the tech represented a “breakthrough” that “leads and surpasses foreign technological level.”
The update comes ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show, set to kick off next week, where many Chinese automotive corporations are set to make product and model announcements.
A part of the tech system uses the identical “lidar” sensors utilized in assisted driving, in accordance with BYD. Lidar, short for “light detection and ranging,” uses lasers to create detailed maps of the encircling area.
The automaker said in a release its latest “DiSus” system “provides a foundation for the long run development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).”
The corporate has taken a comparatively cautious approach to self-driving tech.
When asked about “smart driving” during a call with investors in late March, BYD management said autonomous driving still faces the challenge of determining liability within the event of an accident. Still, management said, advanced assisted driving tech has the potential to enhance overall safety. That is in accordance with a filing of last month’s call accessed through the Wind Information database.
The industry as an entire has been working to balance ambitious driver-assist options with measured safety protocols. EV leader Tesla in February recalled greater than 360,000 cars over assisted-driving software for city streets that it said may cause crashes.
That urban assisted driving software is just not available for Tesla drivers in China.
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It was not immediately clear how Tesla’s shock absorption capabilities compared with BYD’s, but other automotive corporations in China are looking into similar technology.
In September, Nio’s investment fund Nio Capital led a $39 million financing round into Boston-based ClearMotion, which develops software for energetic suspension.
Many details still unknown
BYD’s Wang didn’t address what the corporate’s latest DiSus system would cost to make use of, or when it will grow to be widely available.
Two of the compatible automotive models — Yangwang’s forthcoming U8 SUV and the Denza N7 SUV — aren’t yet available for deliveries. Auto giant Daimler has a small stake in BYD’s Denza brand.
BYD said a few of its existing Han, Tang and Denza models are set to receive the brand new tech through an over-the-air upgrade.
The brand new system is available in three versions — “damping,” “air,” and “hydraulic” — that are set for individual integration with certain BYD models.
Read more about electric vehicles from CNBC Pro
In the primary quarter, BYD said it sold 264,647 all-electric passenger cars, up greater than 80% from a 12 months ago. Hybrid passenger vehicle sales doubled from a 12 months ago to 283,270 in the primary quarter.
Tesla, for its part, said it delivered greater than 422,000 cars worldwide in the primary quarter, without sharing a regional breakdown. China typically accounts for well over 20% of Tesla’s revenue.
