BYD to put driver-assistance features in most of its cars for free to challenge rivals in China
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Assisted-driving technology is one of the core battlegrounds for automakers like BYD in China.
PHOTO: BT FILE
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BEIJING – BYD will enable advanced driver-assistance features in almost all future models at no additional cost to buyers as part of a bid to challenge Tesla and domestic rivals in China’s cut-throat electric vehicle market.
The manufacturer will make its God’s Eye driver-assistance system standard in vehicles priced from 100,000 yuan (S$18,500) in China and include it in several lower-cost models such as the popular Seagull hatchback. BYD also plans to integrate software from DeepSeek, the Chinese start-up that stunned markets with its open-source AI model, it said on Feb 10, without specifying when that would happen.
Assisted-driving technology is one of the core battlegrounds for automakers in China. BYD is looking to close the technology gap with more advanced rivals like Xpeng, with the decision to roll out the features to even its most affordable models meant to fuel further sales.
Shares in Xpeng and Geely Auto tumbled on Feb 11 on worries that they will struggle to compete against BYD’s move. Xpeng’s shares closed 9 per cent lower, while Geely dropped 10.3 per cent. BYD’s Hong Kong-listed shares added 0.9 per cent to reach a record high before closing 0.7 per cent lower.
This year “will be the first of intelligent driving for everybody”, BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu said during an event at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen. “It will become a must-have in the next two to three years, just as a seat belt or airbag.” First unveiled in 2023, God’s Eye relies on different cameras and radar sensors to assist drivers with features including valet parking, adaptive cruising and automated braking.
China, the world’s biggest car market, has embraced driver-support features like few other places, with most manufacturers providing technology that is between Level 2 and Level 3 – giving drivers certain degrees of support with tasks like steering and braking.
Tesla is waiting for approval from Beijing to roll out trials of features it markets as “full self-driving”, which require constant supervision. BYD also claimed it has obtained China’s first Level 3 assisted driving testing licence.
BYD, which sold over four million cars in 2024, is betting on its scale, access to data and scores of software engineers for an edge. Vehicles with a similar system made by other brands typically retail for more than 150,000 yuan, while some manufacturers charge additional fees to have driver-assistance features enabled. God’s Eye will go into cars with a price tag of as low as 69,800 yuan.
Investors are keenly watching BYD’s smart-car plans after the automaker in 2024 pledged to invest 100 billion yuan to develop advanced technology. Its shares climbed 21 per cent in Hong Kong last week on expectations the company would give a bullish update on its technology. It aims to deliver as many as six million vehicles in 2025 and has led a bruising price war that has squeezed smaller rivals. BLOOMBERG
