Autonomous Driving Technologies to be Developed for China

By Mike Ball / 25 Nov 2018

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST

XPeng Motors autonomous car

XPENG Motors has announced that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with NVIDIA and its China partner Desay SV to jointly develop Level 3 autonomous driving technology tailored for the driving environment in China.

Powered by NVIDIA’s AI supercomputing system-on-chip (SoC) Xavier, XPENG Motors will self-develop the software for China’s typical traffic conditions and user scenarios and will work with Desay SV to jointly develop the computing hardware platform for autonomous driving.

The company plans to implement in various phases the L3 intelligent driving features in its new models starting in 2020. These features include parking pilot, traffic jam pilot, fully auto lane change and highway pilot, best route navigation and personalization.

In addition to partnering in hardware development, the three companies will also work extensively on data collection and benchmarking, software development and cloud-based machine learning.

The scalable NVIDIA DRIVE AGX AI automobile computing platform, built on Xavier, is capable of powering advanced Level 2+ driver assistance systems through robotaxis. The system processes data collected from an array of radar, LIDAR, camera and ultrasonic sensors in real-time. NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Xavier is capable of 30 trillion operations per second while consuming 30 watts of power, and is equipped by six different processors on the SoC, including a high performance GPU, custom 8-core CPU, a deep learning accelerator and a programmable vision accelerator.

“Our mission is to lead the innovation of intelligent vehicles and make them widely available for Chinese consumers. We are very excited about working with the world’s leading players in this field and are confident that this partnership will accelerate our technology advancement,” said Dr. Gu Junli, Vice President of Autonomous Driving at XPENG Motors.

“Independent research capability is one of our core competences. Understanding China’s specific user scenarios is critical in developing smart driving solutions for Chinese consumers, and we strive to provide them with the best driving experience,” she added.

Rishi Dhall, NVIDIA’s Vice President of Automotive Business Development, said: “XPENG Motors is leading the way in China with the production of next-generation EVs that also will need autonomous driving capabilities. XPENG Motor’s selection of NVIDIA DRIVE as their AV platform gives them the performance and scalability necessary to bring safe, self-driving systems to the market in China.”

“With the rapid development of AI technology, Desay SV is actively working closely with industry partners such as NVIDIA and XPENG Motors to transform the future driving experience,” Mr. Gao Dapeng, CEO of Desay SV said during the signing ceremony. “Based on the 30-plus years of R&D expertise and experience, Desay SV focuses on prospective technologies and provides solutions with better autonomous driving capabilities through continuously building domestic and overseas R&D teams and investing in R&D related activities. At the same time, we will maintain close cooperation with NVIDIA and XPENG Motors to bring better solutions for car driving.”

Posted by Mike Ball Mike Ball is our resident technical editor here at Unmanned Systems Technology. Combining his passion for teaching, advanced engineering and all things unmanned, Mike keeps a watchful eye over everything related to the unmanned technical sector. With over 10 years’ experience in the unmanned field and a degree in engineering, Mike’s been heading up our technical team here for the last 8 years. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

How to Balance Drone Propellers by Adding & Removing Material

Tyto Robotics explains how adding or removing material from drone propellers can improve flight stability, precision, and system performance

May 19, 2025
TEKEVER Supports RAF Programme with VTOL UAS for Electronic Warfare

TEKEVER’s AR3 uncrewed aerial system is supporting the UK’s StormShroud programme, advancing electronic warfare capabilities through modular integration and collaborative defence innovation

May 19, 2025
New Long-Endurance VTOL Drone to be Showcased at Xponential 2025

At Xponential 2025, Unmanned Aerospace will display their GH-4, a long-endurance vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) rotorcraft with a patented Automatic Pitch System (APS) and modular capabilities

May 19, 2025
Advanced Turnkey UAS Solutions for Civilian & Defense Applications

Altus LSA's multirotor and fixed-wing drones have been selected by leading clients including NATO, FRONTEX, and the European Maritime Safety Agency

May 19, 2025
AGISTAR Releases Modular USV for Aquatic Survey Applications

AGISTAR introduces the BX-USV II, a compact modular platform engineered for aquatic data collection, environmental monitoring, hydrographic surveying, and infrastructure inspection in shallow and inland waters

May 19, 2025
New Line of Combat-Proven USVs Enhances Maritime Operations

Red Cat Holdings expands into maritime autonomy with a new line of combat-proven USVs, enhancing multi-domain capabilities for modern naval and joint-force operations

May 19, 2025

Featured Content

WarrenUAS Secures FAA 44807 Exemption, Expanding Large UAS Training Capabilities

WarrenUAS has received FAA 44807 approval to train students on unmanned aerial systems weighing over 55 pounds in the NAS, placing it among only five U.S. organizations with this clearance, and expanding its national training leadership

May 15, 2025
Product Spotlight: Durable Lightweight Lithium-Ion Batteries for UAVs

American Lithium Energy (ALE)'s energy-dense lithium-ion battery cells combine high power output with built-in safety features, ideal for UAV and eVTOL applications in challenging environments

May 14, 2025
SAE Media Group Releases Agenda for Counter UAS Middle East & Africa 2025

The inaugural Counter UAS Middle East & Africa 2025 will gather global defense leaders in Amman to explore threats, technologies, and strategies shaping regional drone defense

May 13, 2025
Advancing Unmanned Systems Through Strategic Collaboration UST works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive unmanned systems capabilities forward.