Dive Brief:
- Four China-based electric vehicle manufacturers, including Great Wall Motor, Li Auto, Xiaomi and Zeekr, will use Nvidia’s AI technology for their advanced driver assistance and autonomous driving systems, the technology supplier said Monday at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas.
- Li Auto will use Nvidia’s all-in-one Drive Thor system, which combines features like automated and assisted driving with occupant-detection monitoring, infotainment and other functions, for its next-generation vehicles.
- Great Wall Motor, Xiaomu and Zeekr will use Nvidia’s Drive Orin platform, which processes camera, radar and lidar data, for their autonomous driving systems.
Dive Insight:
Automakers have been racing to launch vehicles with high-tech infotainment screens and automated driving functions in China, where consumers are especially interested in the latest technology features.
Great Wall Motor, the fourth-largest domestic automaker in China, plans to launch its first vehicle with Nvidia’s Drive Orin technology during the first half of the year.
China is an important growth market for Nvidia, Intel, Qualcomm and other technology companies that have entered the auto industry in recent years, given its place as the world’s largest car market and the growing dominance of China-based automakers.
However, chipmakers must be careful to avoid running afoul of the Biden administration’s newly imposed export restrictions on semiconductors, which aim to boost U.S. national security and rein in China’s industrial power. China retaliated against those measures in December by restricting exports of graphite, which many companies use to produce EV batteries.
