‘Look, No Hands’: China Chases the Driverless Dream

At the world’s biggest car fair, which opened in Beijing on Friday, there were hundreds of manufacturers, more than 1,000 vehicles, hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts – and hardly anyone behind a wheel.

China’s car companies have cornered the domestic electric vehicle market, and are increasingly visible on the global stage. Now they are turning their attention to what they are betting is the future of mobility: autonomous driving.

At the Beijing Auto Fair, officially called Auto China 2026, a huge industry event that covers 380,000 square metres on the outskirts of the capital, the country’s carmakers showed off a range of intelligent driving technologies.

In China’s cut-throat domestic market, nearly every big carmaker is investing heavily in the software and computing power needed to make “hands-free” driving a reality as they compete to offer additional perks and find new ways to generate revenue.

And Huawei, the telecommunications group, revealed this week that it would be investing up to 80bn yuan (£8.7bn) over the next five years to develop its autonomous driving software and computing power.

“The fact that almost every automaker has some version of intelligent driving makes it different to almost any market in the world,” said Tu Le, the managing director of Sino Auto Insights, a consultancy.

Le said that the Chinese market was so competitive that merely selling passenger vehicles domestically was no longer a viable way for Chinese companies to make money. Additional perks, such as leasing AI-powered software, are needed to boost revenues.

The EV maker Xpeng said its latest AI model allows drivers to give the car commands – such as, “park near the entrance to the shopping centre” – rather than a specific spot on a map.

An AI-powered operating system from Xiaomi, an appliance and phone maker, allows drivers to make restaurant reservations, compile notes while driving and place coffee orders. It can also detect when drivers seem stressed or agitated and adjust the lighting and music for their arrival at home.

- Author: Amy Hawkins, The Guardian

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