SAIC Motor sets up CV smart driving tech company

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On August 26, SAIC Motor announced the foundation of a commercial vehicle (CV) intelligent driving technology company dubbed Shanghai Youdao Zhitu Technology Co.,Ltd. (called “Youdao Zhitu” for short), which will be located in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Special Area.

Photo credit: SAIC Motor

SAIC Motor plans to team up with Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd. and Hengxu Capital to co-build a fund involving a subscribed capital of 643 million yuan ($99.205 million), according to an announcement SAIC Motor issued on August 27. The fund will be used for the investment in a CV intelligent driving project, which is temporarily named “Youdao Zhitu Technology”.

Based on SAIC Motor's resources and know-how of autonomous driving, new energy, cybersecurity, functional safety, and other cutting-edge technologies, Youdao Zhitu has formed its core competitive edges in the full-stack in-house developed software and data-driven algorithm, the automotive-grade computing platform with high computational capacity, as well as cybersecurity and information safety.

To be specific, Youdao Zhitu's self-developed autonomous driving architecture can support rapid iteration and deployment of software and algorithm. It has independent full-stack R&D capability in such core technical areas as autonomous driving perception & prediction and the localization, planning and decision-making for digital maps.

By virtue of a huge amount of data about real autonomous driving scenarios covering over 1.6 million-km roads, Youdao Zhitu is able to create numerous simulation scenarios, so as to greatly enhance R&D efficiency.

In regards to specific scenarios like ports and factories, Youdao Zhitu has formed strategic partnerships with Shanghai port and Qingdao port to boost the commercial-ready operation of its technologies. Moreover, it is also vigorously making business layouts in steel mills, power plants, and shipyards.

As for trunk logistics, Youdao Zhitu will launch this year an all-new Level 3 smart heavy-duty trunk, which will be put into commercial-ready operation on designated roads.