BYD counters Tesla’s move to autonomy with Huawei agreement

On 27 August 2024, Huawei and Chinese luxury electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Fangchengbao confirmed a new agreement that had been rumoured earlier in the month. The BYD-owned company, which was introduced in June 2023, will use the digital communication conglomerate’s advanced driving system (ADS) for self-driving functions, Qiankun, in its new line of off-road models.

Qiankun ADS 3.0 was unveiled in April 2024, representing a step change from Huawei’s previous two iterations. Building upon its bird’s eye view architecture (BEV) to create a general obstacle detection (GOD) network—featuring a sensor fusion of cameras, LiDAR, radar, and GPS—the tech company believes it is on course to enable a universal autonomy platform. Fangchengbao’s Bao 8 SUV plug-in hybrid, scheduled for China in Q3/Q4 2024 and Europe in 2025, will be the first product to leverage the new partnership.