CATL, Ji Yue join hands to promote R&D, volume production of Robocar tech, products

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On October 21, Chinese power battery giant CATL and automotive robot (Robocar) brand Ji Yue signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly advance the R&D and mass production application of Robocar and new energy vehicle (NEV)-related technologies and products, according to a post on CATL's WeChat account.

CATL said has already provided high-performance power battery products and service support for the Robocar "Ji Yue 01," a smart vehicle equipped with advanced robotics capabilities.

Photo credit: CATL

In this collaborative endeavor, both parties aim to leverage their respective strengths in areas such as high-voltage ultra-fast charging technology, electric vehicle charging, battery swapping, and energy storage. This partnership is set to support Ji Yue in developing a premium line of intelligent automotive robot products and enhancing the overall intelligent mobility industry chain.

An official statement from Ji Yue highlights that in the process of creating a brand-new category known as "Robocar," JIDU and Ji Yue, in conjunction with major ecosystem partners like CATL, Bosch, Continental AG, ZF Group, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA, have developed a two-way joint research model. This cooperative approach has yielded a series of customized technical solutions for Ji Yue's automotive robot, continuously advancing the mass production and popularization of state-of-the-art intelligent technologies.

The Ji Yue brand was officially launched on August 14 this year, a collaborative effort between Geely and Baidu. On the same day, the brand's inaugural vehicle model, Ji Yue 01, was listed on a public catalogue issued by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. On September 19, the Ji Yue 01’s first mass-produced unit officially rolled off production line with pre-orders kicking off in the meantime at 259,900 yuan. The model is set to hit the market at the end of October.

The Ji Yue 01 is based on Geely’s SEA architecture, positioning itself as a mid-to-large-sized SUV. The vehicle boasts dimensions of 4,853mm in length, 1,990mm in width, and 1,611mm in height, with a 3,000mm wheelbase.

In terms of design, the vehicle eliminates most physical controls such as exterior door handles and center console buttons. Instead, it adopts a U-shaped steering wheel, a 3D seamless integrated ultra-clear large screen, an active lifting rear wing, and empathetic interactive headlights, giving it a futuristic appearance.

Regarding intelligent features, the Ji Yue 01 is the first vehicle to be powered by the fourth-generation Snapdragon automotive digital cockpit platform, the 8295 chip. It is also the first to fully employ dual NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for robust AI computing capacity. Furthermore, as the first vehicle in the industry to be equipped with Baidu Apollo's advanced autonomous driving capabilities, the Ji Yue 01 comes with dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin chips, which provide mature intelligent driving functions across various scenarios, including high-speed, urban, and parking. The core function of advanced intelligent assistance driving—PPA (Point to Point Autopilot)—has already been implemented successfully.