In a remarkable achievement, BYD has captured the title of the top car manufacturer in China for 2024, boasting an impressive annual sales figure of 4.27 million vehicles, surpassing SAIC Motor CorporationHowever, this victory is intertwined with an underlying sense of urgency, as the automotive industry pivots towards a new era defined by intelligent driving technologiesThe competitive landscape is rapidly evolving, and BYD is accelerating its efforts to bridge the gap in smart driving capabilities.

Merely a few months after expressing skepticism about the viability of autonomous driving, BYD's chairman, Wang Chuanfu, made headlines in March 2023 by characterizing automated driving as "superficial." Yet, the company has since demonstrated a remarkable turnaround, launching its advanced "Eye of God" intelligent driving system by July 2023. By the end of 2024, BYD successfully introduced the capability for nationwide navigation without maps (CNOA), all accomplished within a span of less than eighteen months since the initial announcement of their smart driving system.

During BYD's Dream Day event in 2024, Wang Chuanfu revealed plans to offer the high-level intelligent driving system as an optional feature for vehicles priced above 200,000 yuan (about $28,000), with models costing above 300,000 yuan (about $42,000) set to include this advanced technology as standard

Fast forward to today, several models have integrated the Eye of God high-level intelligent driving system, including the Yangwang U8, Denza Z9 GT, Denza N7, Han EV, Song L EV, and the Sea Lion 07 EV, marking a significant milestone for BYD's technology advancements.

Recently, during a test drive event organized by BYD, reporters from the 21st Century Business Herald had the opportunity to experience firsthand the full-scene automatic parking capabilities of the Yangwang U8 and the CNOA functionality of the Denza Z9 GTThe parking integration was particularly astounding, featuring both "easy three-way" and "easy four-way" parking optionsThe former employs a single rear wheel control mechanism to allow the vehicle to pivot around a single wheel for a smooth reverse parking maneuver, while the latter takes full advantage of its four independent motors to facilitate parking in tight and challenging spaces.

The CNOA feature, on the other hand, takes intelligent driving a step further, accommodating complex driving scenarios such as navigating through intricate intersections, obeying traffic signals with real-time countdowns, overtaking, intelligently avoiding obstacles, autonomously changing lanes, engaging in negotiation maneuvers, and yielding to pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles

• 10-Year U.S. Treasury Yields Rise
• Surge in U.S. Treasury Bonds
• The End of Prosperity in the U.S. Stock Market
• Lianlian Digital Lists on HKEX, Boosting Cross-Border Payments
• NVIDIA Stock Plunges Over 6%

This level of sophistication showcases BYD's commitment to enhancing its intelligent driving experience.

By avoiding the reliance on laser radar and purely visual computational frameworks in its intelligent driving strategy, BYD has taken a more adaptable approachThe Denza Z9 GT utilized for the driving experience incorporates a single Orin X chip with a computing capacity of 254 TOPSWith a total of 31 intelligent driving sensors onboard—including two laser radars, five millimeter-wave radars, twelve ultrasonic radars, and twelve high-definition cameras—the vehicle achieves a comprehensive awareness of its environmentInsiders have indicated that BYD's design choice not only prioritizes safety but also caters to the diverse preferences of its clientele.

The current competition among automobile manufacturers has intensified around the notion of end-to-end solutions in intelligent driving

Companies such as Xpeng, Huawei, Li Auto, and NIO have already showcased their robust capabilities in this arena, all vying to advance their all-inclusive, integrated developmental strategiesBYD, represented by Liu Dechen, an expert from the company’s new technology research institute, outlined their current use of a two-stage end-to-end model, with plans to evolve towards a more streamlined, next-generation One Model approach in the future.

The "Eye of God" system is built upon the company's Xuanji architecture, integrating a high-performance intelligent driving computation platform with end-to-end algorithm frameworksThis enables real-time monitoring of vehicle information, status, and driver behavior, delivering all-scenario, all-weather, and all-terrain perceptual capabilities.

As it stands, BYD's intelligent driving assistance system has progressed to its 3.0+ iteration

Liu provides contrasting insights into how BYD's integrated vehicle perception, bolstered by additional sensors like rotational and tire pressure sensors, effectively captures data for predictive analysis, decision-making, and control—differentiating it from traditional image-based sensor systems.

Showcasing sheer determination to lead in intelligent driving innovation, BYD's financial commitment to research and development underscores their ambitionsIn the first three quarters of this year, the company reported a 33.6% year-on-year increase in R&D spending, reaching approximately 33.32 billion yuan (around $4.67 billion). Additionally, Wang announced a monumental plan to invest 100 billion yuan (about $14 billion) by November 2024 to integrate artificial intelligence within smart automotive technologies, aiming for a comprehensive smart vehicle evolution.

Beyond their in-house developments, BYD has also engaged in strategic collaborations with leading intelligent driving suppliers like Huawei, Momenta, and Horizon Robotics

As early as 2021, they initiated a joint venture with Momenta; in November 2024, the launch of the Formula Leopard Leopard 8 equipped with Huawei's Qian Kun intelligent driving system ADS3.0 was a significant milestoneFurthermore, in December, BYD acquired a stake in Zhuoyu Technology, signifying a robust partnership approach to cutting-edge technology advancement.

The intelligent driving battleground is becoming increasingly competitive as the industry transitions into 2024. From various manufacturers’ strategic plans, it is clear that Chery is aiming to roll out multiple models with advanced smart driving features by 2025, while Great Wall Motor anticipates achieving a 40% penetration rate for advanced automated driving technologies within their production lines by 2025. The future promises an even fiercer contest as Liu has hinted at a broader range of vehicles that will eventually feature the Eye of God intelligent driving system.