On September 27th, BYD announced at a research event that its Fang Cheng Bao brand has entered a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei in Shenzhen.
The two Shenzhen-based companies plan to collaborate closely on research and development in intelligent driving for BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao line.
The upcoming Fang Cheng Bao Bao 8 will be the first BYD vehicle equipped with Huawei’s advanced smart-driving solution.
BYD revealed that this partnership aims to develop the world’s first off-road-focused intelligent driving system. The Bao 8 will debut with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 3.0 system, which was introduced by Huawei in April this year.
The Qiankun ADS 3.0 represents a significant upgrade from Huawei’s ADS 2.0, bringing advancements in mapless intelligent driving, enhanced collision avoidance, and all-scenario autonomous parking.
One of the key features of ADS 3.0 is its improved road and image recognition, bolstered by extensive training data and real-world testing.
This system enables fully autonomous parking, allowing drivers to exit the vehicle while it parks itself. Other models in the Huawei HIMA alliance, such as the Luxeed S7, have already demonstrated this capability.
BYD emphasized that this collaboration with Huawei pushes the boundaries of conventional smart-driving systems, expanding their capabilities into off-road environments.
The goal is to create the world’s first exclusive off-road intelligent driving solution, which will eventually be implemented across other Fang Cheng Bao models, not just the Bao 8.
Fang Cheng Bao is BYD’s luxury brand, focused on off-road and high-performance vehicles. The Bao 8, a full-size SUV and the brand’s second model, is set to launch later this year with a price tag of 500,000 yuan (approximately 71,000 USD).
It features BYD’s DMO plug-in hybrid powertrain and measures 5195 mm in length, 1994 mm in width, and 1875 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2920 mm.
Alongside the Qiankun ADS 3.0 system, the Bao 8 will also include Huawei’s HiCar system, a mobile app that integrates with the car’s infotainment system, similar to Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto.
This collaboration signifies a major milestone for BYD and Huawei.
While they have been working together since 2021 to integrate Huawei’s HiCar system into BYD vehicles, this latest venture into intelligent driving solutions marks a significant expansion of their partnership.