China to speed up ICV development, MIIT

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China will move faster to foster the development of ICV (intelligent-connected vehicle) industry, speeding up the cross-sector integration for ICV businesses, improving the smart transportation infrastructures, forming an IoV (Internet of Vehicles)-related integrated application system, and perfecting relevant standards and regulation, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) recently stated.

ICV is defined as a future generation of vehicles, equipped with advanced in-car sensors, controllers, actuators and other devices, and integrated with modern communication and network technologies, which are able to achieve the exchange and sharing of intelligent information between vehicles and X other factors such as individuals, vehicles, roads and cloud, have functions allowing awareness of complex surroundings, intelligent decision making and collaborative control, are able to realize “safe, efficient, comfortable, energy saving” driving, and ultimately would realize driving operations in replacement of human beings, according to the Guideline for Developing National Internet of Vehicles Industry Standard System (ICV) issued by the MIIT and China's Standardization Administration.

(Photo source: Baidu Apollo)

Based on this broad definition, both connected vehicles and autonomous or driverless vehicles would fall within the scope of ICV. The ICV industry represents a new type of industrial form that profoundly integrates such fields as automobiles, electronics, information communications and road transportation, which is in favor of improving the overall intelligence level for the country and prompting the consumption and high-quality growth of information technologies and products.

While acting faster to make breakthroughs in core technologies related to ICVs, the government shall make efforts to build a standard system, improve the quality of infrastructures and application services, reinforce safety, and speed up the development of an open industrial ecosystem. Especially, expediting the in-depth integration of network communications technologies, AI technologies and road infrastructures, and boosting the connection between EVs and charging piles will be treated as focus, said the MIIT.

A number of trial projects themed automobile digital intelligence is being waged. For instance, Jiaxing of Zhejiang province has recently put its first public-use station for orderly charging into application in a residential community; State Grid Zhejiang Jiaxing Power Supply Co.,Ltd. plans to newly construct, relocate and renovate (or expand) a total of 22 charging stations by the end of 2020; Chery Automobile teams up with Souche.com, an operator of a used car trading website, to explore ICV applications; State Grid and Baidu ally on the construction of energy network and standard system, and develop new technologies.

Going forward, the MIIT will continuously take moves from the aspects of supply side, demand side and usage side, and provide necessities for applying new technologies, especially endowing the typical scenarios and key regions with computing capabilities, and building a vehicle-road-cooperation environment featuring low latency, high bandwidth and powerful computing ability, the authority said. Besides, it will continue to step up the construction of the infrastructures for EV charging and battery swapping, and boost the connectivity among all types of charging and battery swapping facilities.