◆The automotive metaverse industry base has settled in Shanghai

In early January, Shanghai Jiayuan Xinchuang Virtual Reality Technology Group Co., Ltd. settled in Greenland Economic City, Anting Town, Shanghai. The company plans to build an automotive metaverse industry base, with a long-term industrial scale expected to exceed 100 billion yuan. It is reported that the project will introduce multiple metaverse related enterprises such as the Automotive Metaverse Research Institute, Virtual Production Company, Supercomputing Company, and Automotive Metaverse Sales Company. It will also realize the penetration and application of meta cosmic computing in manufacturing processes such as product simulation design, test verification and optimization, operation and maintenance inspection, and remote maintenance in the automotive field, and cultivate the pilot demonstration scenario of "meta cosmic+industrial Internet".

Comment: Accelerate the transformation and upgrading of Shanghai Anting's automobile industry, and achieve high-quality economic development.

◆Guangzhou releases report on intelligent connected road testing and application

On January 8th, the Guangzhou Intelligent Connected Vehicle Demonstration Zone Operation Center released the "Guangzhou Intelligent Connected Vehicle Road Testing and Application Demonstration Operation Report (2022)", which provides a detailed explanation of the latest progress in Guangzhou's intelligent connected vehicle road testing, application demonstration operation (mixed pilot) work, policy system, and vehicle networking construction in 2022. As of the end of 2022, the total effective testing time of open roads for intelligent connected vehicles in Guangzhou exceeded 510000 hours, and the total effective testing mileage reached 9.761 million kilometers.

Comment: The release of Guangzhou's autonomous driving policy for 2023 has made a good start, and the landing of advanced autonomous driving is gaining more and more support in China.

◆The electronic rearview mirror standard has been approved and will be implemented on July 1, 2023

On January 10th, the national standard GB 15084-2022 "Performance and Installation Requirements for Indirect Vision Devices in Motor Vehicles" was officially released. The new standard will be officially implemented on July 1, 2023, and will fully replace the current GB 15084-2013 version standard released in 2013. This means that traditional car rearview mirrors will become history, and electronic rearview mirrors may become mainstream. It is reported that there are already individual models in China that can be equipped with electronic exterior rearview mirrors, such as BAIC Magic Cube and Lotus ELETRE. In the future, manufacturers such as Xiaopeng G7, GAC Aion, and Honda have clearly stated that they will install CMS systems on some models.

Comment: Electronic rearview mirrors are expected to become a new trillion dollar market.

◆16 departments issue guidance on the development of data security industry

On January 13, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Internet Information Office, the National Development and Reform Commission and other 16 departments jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Data Security Industry. The Opinion focuses on the needs of data security protection and related data resource development and utilization, proposes overall requirements for promoting the development of the data security industry, and sets industry development goals in two stages: 2025 and 2035. By 2025, the basic capabilities and comprehensive strength of the data security industry will be significantly enhanced. The scale of the data security industry exceeds 150 billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of over 30%.

Commentary: The Opinion promotes the healthy development of the data security industry and will play a huge supporting role in the construction of Digital China and the development of the digital economy.

◆Beijing clarifies for the first time the definition standards for unmanned shuttle buses

On January 18th, the Wenyuan Zhixing unmanned shuttle bus officially obtained the autonomous driving road test license issued by the Beijing High level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone Work Office. This is a segmented scenario for autonomous minibuses in the high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone of Beijing. For the first time, test licenses have been issued for unmanned shuttle buses, and it is also the first time that L4 level unmanned shuttle buses have legally driven on the road in Beijing.

Comment: Beijing has for the first time clarified the definition standards for unmanned shuttle buses and tailored relevant landing policies, which is another step forward.

Take a look at the commercial applications

◆BaiduCooperate with Wuhan for large-scale commercial operation of autonomous driving

January 11th，BaiduOn January 11th, it was announced that a cooperation agreement had been signed with the Wuhan Municipal Government to launch comprehensive strategic cooperation in the field of intelligent connected vehicles. Both parties will jointly launch large-scale unmanned driving commercial operation services and create a globally leading unmanned driving operation area. It is reported that Wuhan will promote the phased implementation of autonomous driving policies to achieve full area opening in the city, gradually connecting their applications in airports, highways, and other scenarios. Within the scope permitted by laws, regulations, and policies, support Baidu Apollo and its affiliates to deploy large-scale unmanned driving commercial operation services throughout the city.

Comment: To assist the intelligent connected industry in Hubei Province in seizing the initiative in the new round of international competition and moving towards a global leading technological innovation highland.

Take a look at enterprise dynamics

◆Aeva and Zhijia Technology collaborate to promote highly automated trucks

On January 3rd, Aeva, the next generation of sensing and perception system supplier ® Smart Plus, a provider of autonomous driving solutions, announced the launch of Aeries integrated with Aeva ™  II 4D LiDAR ™ The next-generation PlusDrive highly automated driving solution for sensors will be showcased at CES 2023. Aeva and Zhijia Technology have been collaborating since 2019 to use Aeva's frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) 4D LiDAR equipment and validate Zhijia Technology's autonomous truck transportation solutions.

Comment: Aeries II 4D LiDAR sensor helps improve the performance of the next generation of mass-produced autonomous driving trucks.

◆Foxconn collaborates with Nvidia to build an autonomous driving platform

On January 3, chip manufacturer Nvidia and electronic product manufacturer Foxconn announced that they would jointly develop a platform for autonomous vehicle. According to the cooperation agreement, Foxconn will serve as a first tier manufacturer and produce NVIDIA DRIVE Orin based products for the global automotive market ™ The electronic control unit (ECU). Foxconn's electric vehicles will adopt DRIVE Orin ECU and DRIVE Hyperion ™ Sensor architecture to achieve highly automated driving functions.

Comment: Under the global trend of declining consumer electronics, Foxconn's transformation into car manufacturing will face great challenges.

◆BYD officially releases its look up brand

On January 5th, BYD officially released its high-end brand look up to the public, and its two models, the pure electric off-road vehicle U8 and the luxury sports car U9, were also unveiled at the press conference. It is reported that all models under the company will be equipped with BYD's latest "Yisi Fang" technology platform. BYD stated that the technology platform is based on electric drive, electronic control, battery, and integrated sensing, and can achieve independent control of four motors, extreme anti-skid control, and vehicle stability control.

Comment: BYD aims to change the high-end automotive industry landscape with intelligent hardcore technology.

◆Great Wall Motors' intelligent vehicle penetration rate reaches 86.17% in 2022

On January 10th, Great Wall Motors released its production and sales data for December 2022. In 2022, Great Wall Motors sold 1067523 vehicles throughout the year, exceeding 1 million vehicles for seven consecutive years. Among them, the cumulative sales in overseas markets reached 173180 units, a year-on-year increase of 21.28%, and the cumulative sales in overseas markets have exceeded 1 million units; The proportion of car models with sales exceeding 200000 yuan reached 15.27%, an increase of 5 percentage points; The acceleration of intelligent advancement has led to a penetration rate of 86.17% for intelligent vehicle models.

Comment: The advancement of intelligence is accelerating, and domestic brands are competing to occupy the new technological high ground.

◆Nezha Motors collaborates with Time Intelligence to create skateboard chassis

On January 10th, Nezha Automobile signed a CIIC integrated intelligent chassis cooperation agreement with CATL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL. The two sides will jointly explore skateboard chassis technology, and the first model equipped with CIIC will be launched as early as the end of 2024. It is reported that CIIC is an electric chassis with battery/electric drive as the core and highly integrated through CTC technology. It integrates key components such as battery system, electric drive system, thermal management system, and line control system into the chassis without the need for a separate battery pack.

Comment: Nezha Automobile may become the first brand of integrated intelligent chassis developed by a new force in car manufacturing.

◆Geely Technology Group collaborates with Jita Semiconductor to develop chips

On January 12th, Geely Technology Group and Jita Semiconductor signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly establish the first domestic automotive electronics shared vertical integrated manufacturing (CIDM) chip alliance, set up a joint laboratory, focus on the research and development, process integration, and production processes of automotive electronic MCU, power devices, SoC, PMIC and other chips, committed to automotive reliability testing and vehicle mass production applications.

Comment: Committed to the collaborative development of the automotive grade chip industry, promoting breakthroughs in key domestic semiconductor technologies, and establishing a mature and stable automotive semiconductor industry ecosystem.

Review the Capital Trends

◆Qingdong Steering completes angel round financing

On January 3rd, intelligent steering system supplier Qingdong Steering has completed an angel round of financing, with investors including Changxin Zhiyuan Capital, Meiyu Capital, Haoshu Venture Capital, and Shunlian Capital. The funds will mainly be used for the research and development of core products such as Qingdong Steering's redundant electric drive unit, R-EPS, and wire controlled steering system, as well as the introduction of high-end R&D talents. According to public information, Qingdong Steering was established in March 2022, with Deng Jian serving as Chairman and CEO.

Comment: As the cornerstone of advanced autonomous driving, wire controlled steering technology has high barriers to entry and low market penetration, and is on the eve of explosive growth in the industry.

◆Information security enterprise wins investment from China National Investment Corporation for Chenxinan

On January 6th, China National Investment Corporation announced a strategic investment in Guangdong Weichen Information Technology Co., Ltd. to support the company's research and development of automotive information security products and market expansion, and continuously innovate the underlying technology of automotive information security. Weichen is a provider of automotive information security products and services, with basic security products across chip platforms, operating systems, and communication protocols. It also provides a series of testing tools and security services, focusing on building a deep defense security system that adapts to the new generation of central computing vehicle architecture.

Commentary: Automotive information security is gradually becoming a "standard" and "essential" requirement, and enterprises with leading technology are highly favored by capital.

◆Hesai Technology submits its prospectus in the United States

On the evening of January 17th, Chinese LiDAR system supplier Hesai Technology submitted a prospectus to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), intending to list on NASDAQ with the code "HSAI". According to the prospectus, from 2019 to the first nine months of 2022, Hesai Technology achieved operating revenues of 348 million yuan, 416 million yuan, 721 million yuan, and 793 million yuan, respectively.

Comment: Hesai Technology sprints to become the "first stock of Chinese LiDAR", accelerating the impact of Chinese LiDAR on overseas markets.

◆ComfortDelGro invests in autonomous driving startup Ottopia

According to foreign media reports, Singapore's largest taxi operator ComfortDelGro announced that it will invest $4 million in Israeli autonomous driving software startup Ottopia to leverage more external technology to drive autonomous traffic. This investment will utilize ComfortDelGro's $100 million venture capital fund in the field of autonomous driving. Ottopia can provide a system that allows people to remotely monitor autonomous vehicles.

Comment: Compared to self-development, acquiring autonomous driving technology through investment or cooperation may be faster.

Listen to international news

◆Sony Honda partnership car brand announced, with pre orders starting in 2025

On January 5th, at the 2023 International Consumer Electronics Show, Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture between Sony and Honda, announced the launch of the intelligent connected car brand Afeela, with plans to open pre orders in the first half of 2025. It is reported that Honda will mainly be responsible for the driving performance, manufacturing technology, and after-sales service management of vehicles, while Sony will be responsible for developing entertainment, networking, and other mobile service functions.

Commentary: The cross-border alliance between electronic technology companies and automobile manufacturers may indicate the future development trend of the automotive industry.

◆Stellantis establishes new automotive software business unit

On January 6th, at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Stellantis announced the establishment of its new automotive software business unit Mobilisights and stated that it is accelerating the development of its data and software businesses. Stellantis plans to increase annual sales of 20 billion euros from software related services by 2030, and the establishment of a new department is part of this plan.

Comment: The era of software defined cars has arrived, and traditional car companies are accelerating into a new track.

◆The aviation agencies of the United States and South Korea will collaborate to develop flying cars

On January 7th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States announced that it has agreed to collaborate with the Korean Civil Aviation Authority (KOCA) on the development and operation of future Advanced Air Mobility aircraft. The US regulatory agency stated that the two countries have signed a declaration to cooperate and share information on advanced air travel projects, and jointly promote safety supervision of air travel projects.

Comment: Flying cars are highly sought after, and a three-dimensional intelligent transportation system that can run and fly has become a vision.

◆Mercedes Benz gets approval to drive on the road in Nevada, USA

According to foreign media reports, Mercedes Benz said at the 2023 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2023) that the company has been approved to deploy L3 auto drive system - Drive Pilot system in Nevada, the United States, which makes it the first automobile manufacturer to obtain regulatory approval for this technology in the United States. Mercedes Benz's Drive Pilot system allows vehicles to take over driving tasks under specific conditions, allowing drivers to do other things such as replying to emails.

Comment: This marks the beginning of the international promotion of Mercedes Benz's autonomous driving technology.

Let's talk about personnel changes

◆Baidu the intelligent driving business group is launching job cuts

On January 10th, there were media reports，BaiduThe Intelligent Driving Business Group (IDG) is undergoing personnel layoffs. It is reported that the positions to be abolished in this round are mainly concentrated in the Vehicle Road Collaboration, Intelligent Network Connection, and Intelligent Transportation Business Departments within the Intelligent Transportation Division (ACE), and the proportion of layoffs is relatively high.

Comment: The competition pressure in the intelligent driving industry is high,Baidu It is also difficult to avoid.

Exploring cutting-edge technologies

◆Laser God 1550nm Fiber Optic Vehicle Standard Lidar Debuts at CES

On January 5th, Laser God Intelligent made its debut at CES, showcasing its flagship new product, the 1550nm fiber optic automotive grade LiDAR LS series, demonstrating for the first time the road conditions of the LS series when equipped with passenger cars. This series of products can detect up to 500m, with a range of 250m at 10% reflectivity, a measurement accuracy of ± 2cm, a FOV of 120 ° (H) x25 ° (V), a minimum vertical angle resolution of up to 0.01 °, and a measurement point rate of 1.19 million points/second to 6.14 million points/second. Its ultra-thin size of 45mm makes it easier to integrate into the vehicle body and has complete anti-interference function.

Comment: High performance LiDAR assists L4 and above advanced autonomous driving, hoping to balance performance and cost, making high-performance LiDAR affordable for car manufacturers.

◆Modern Mobis e-corner truck displays 90 degree steering

On January 6th, at the 2023 CES, Hyundai Mobis showcased a prototype IONIC 5 equipped with e-corner module technology, which can turn 90 degrees on all four wheels and perform special maneuvers such as lateral travel and 360 degree U-turns in place. The e-Corner integrates an electric motor, electric shock absorber, wire controlled brake, and wire controlled steering, making it a complete kit that can be installed on plug-in vehicles.

Comment: Its lateral driving function has attracted much attention, and modular design is expected to have great potential in simplifying the entire assembly process of electric vehicles.

◆ZF launches the next generation camera Smart Camera 6

On January 6th, automotive camera supplier ZF announced the development of the next generation camera, Smart Camera 6, for advanced development of autonomous driving and safety systems in cities and highways. The Smart Camera 6 features a 120 degree field of view, over 4 times higher image resolution (8 megapixels) than the previous generation, and more powerful processing capabilities for advanced functionality. The processor used in Smart Camera 6 is the latest generation EyeQ6 processor from Intel's Mobileye.

Comment: With the increasing demand for more complex features and functions in advanced E/E architectures, ZF is meeting industry demands through its image processing module system based on the EyeQ6 processor.

◆Hesai Pure Solid State Lidar FT120 Debuts at CES

At the 2023 CES exhibition, Hesai Technology's pure solid-state LiDAR FT120 made its overseas debut. This is a close range blind laser radar launched by Hesai for the ADAS front-end mass production field. It has features such as pure solid-state and ultra wide angle, and is another masterpiece of Hesai's years of chip technology accumulation. There are no moving parts inside FT120, and laser emission and reception are completely completed through the chip, achieving the integration of a surface array composed of tens of thousands of laser receiving channels on a single chip, and achieving a leap from 1D to 2D.

Comment: Pure solid-state, ultra wide angle, another masterpiece of Hesai's years of chip technology accumulation.

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Text: Hao Wenli Editor: Zhao Fangting Format: Liu Xiaoye