Newcomers joining in to develop autonomous vehicles
In recent years, more and more newcomers, especially tech companies, have been joining traditional automakers in the quest to develop the semi- or fully autonomous vehicle, better known as the self-driving car. Google Inc has been working on self-driving car technology since 2009. And Chinese Internet giant Baidu Inc believes its own self-driving car technology has kept up with tech peers in core areas such as sensors or robotic controls. Although many experts and automakers see self-driving car technology as the future of the auto industry, there will also be many obstacles to overcome along the way.
The race to create the car of the future is getting crowded.
Besides Google Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp are reportedly working on self-driving cars. The two companies are in talks to supply cloud computing services to the digital mapping business HERE, owned by a group of German carmakers developing self-driving cars, Reuters reported on Friday.
International automakers including Ford Motor Co, Nissan Motor Co, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla Motors Inc have announced plans to introduce fully autonomous vehicles by 2020, with some other automakers expecting to release them by 2025, according to a Moody's report dated March 29.
Chinese tech giants and automakers are also accelerating development of their own self-driving car technology. In December 2015, Baidu Inc announced its self-driving car was the first in China to successfully complete a rigorous, fully autonomous series of tests under a variety of road conditions. Many domestic automakers, such as Changan Automobile (Group) Co and BAIC Motor, are also planning to unveil self-driving car models.
Building the best tech
Chinese automakers and tech giants have all realized the importance of developing self-driving technology. Baidu, for instance, said on March 30 that it has invested tens of billions of yuan in self-driving technology.
Many Chinese companies, including Baidu and Alibaba Group Holding, have opened offices in Silicon Valley in the U.S. to help them keep up with the latest technology, said Li Jun, PwC's Central China corporate tax practice leader, who specializes in a broad range of industries including technology and automobiles.
"But it's still hard to judge whose self-driving technology is the best. Only tests with high credibility can make such judgement," Li told the Global Times on March 31.
Kaiser Kuo, director of international communications for Baidu, has full confidence in Baidu's technology.
"Baidu's technology in the area doesn't lag that of international companies in any core areas such as sensors or robotic controls," Kuo told the Global Times via e-mail on March 31.
"We believe that in some areas such as artificial intelligence (AI)-based computer vision, we are at the leading edge of autonomous driving technology," he noted.
Although overseas companies have more advanced technology in general, self-driving technology services providers in China have a better understanding of road conditions, said Li Xiang, who founded the automotive website autohome.com.cn and is an investor in NextEV, an electric car maker.
Li Xiang believes Chinese self-driving technology companies will be major providers in the domestic market.
