The electric vehicle market has witnessed fierce competition in recent years, and BYDthe Chinese automobile giant, has emerged as a competitor that has not only surpassed Tesla in sales, but also seeks to dominate the technological race with its own autonomous driving system.
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This advance not only affects high-end vehicles, but also aims to democratize this technology in more accessible models.
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As Tesla continues its development of the Autopilot FSD and its future plans for autonomous vehicles, such as its CybercabBYD already has a concrete proposal and is ready to implement it in its cars. This move could significantly alter the global landscape of electric and autonomous mobility.
The unstoppable rise of BYD
BYD’s rapid rise is no coincidence. In 2023the Chinese manufacturer delivered more than 1.57 million electric vehiclesand only in October 2024managed to register more than 100,000 electric cars worldwide in a single week.
These impressive numbers not only reflect BYD’s production capacity, but also its growing popularity among consumers.
Despite tesla continues to be a global benchmark in the electric vehicle sector, BYD has surpassed the American company in sales during the last quarter of the previous year, consolidating its position as a market leader.
Now, the company’s next strategic step is to assume full control of the autonomous technology in its vehicles, a move that could redefine drivers’ expectations and further increase its competitiveness.
DiPilot: BYD’s autonomous response
One of the keys to this new chapter in the history of BYD is its autonomous driving system called DiPilotbased on Nvidia technology.
Until now, the Chinese brand depended on external suppliers to integrate this technology into its cars, but this is about to change. From November 2024BYD will integrate its own version of autonomous driving into its models, starting with its high-end range.
The DiPilot system will have different versions depending on the processing capacity.
The DiPilot 100, with 100 TOPS (trillion operations per second)will be based on Nvidia’s Drive Orin N chip, while the DiPilot 300 and DiPilot 600 will use Orin X chips, also from Nvidia.
This modular approach will allow BYD to offer different levels of autonomous driving tailored to the needs of each customer, from those seeking basic assistance to those interested in a nearly fully autonomous driving experience.
Democratization of technology
While Tesla has made progress with its Autopilot technology, it is still far from offering true autonomous driving without human intervention.
Other competitors, such as Ford and Mercedes-Benzhave already launched advanced versions of their assisted driving systems that allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel in certain conditions, something that tesla It has not yet been implemented widely.
What sets BYD apart in this race is not just the promise of delivering advanced technology, but its ability to make it accessible.
Although the first models to incorporate the DiPilot system will be the high-end ones (vehicles that cost more than 200,000 yuan, equivalent to about $28,000)the company plans to cut this cost in half, offering the technology in cars starting from 100,000 yuan (about $14,000).
This approach could revolutionize the market, since, unlike Tesla, which remains focused on the production of luxury vehicles, BYD seems to be betting on the massification of self-driving.
In this way, the company would not only lead in terms of sales, but also in the democratization of one of the most anticipated technologies in the future of mobility.
Tesla remains in the fight
Although BYD has surpassed Tesla in sales and appears to be advancing rapidly in technology, the American company has not been far behind. Tesla has shown positive numbers during the third quarter of 2024, with a net profit of more than $23 billion.
However, this financial growth has not been based so much on the increase in sales, but on its ability to reduce operating costs, a strategy that has allowed it to maintain its profitability even though sales expectations have not been so optimistic.
The real challenge for Tesla lies in delivering on the technological promises it has made to its customers and shareholders. Although much has been said about the future of Autopilot and the arrival of Cybercabthese projects have not yet come to fruition, and the room for maneuver that Tesla has to continue dominating the market is rapidly shrinking.
BYD and the future of autonomous driving
BYD’s move towards full autonomy in its vehicles appears to be part of a long-term strategy to consolidate its position as a global leader in electric mobility.
The integration of technology DiPilot It’s just one of many steps the company is taking to ensure that it will not only be a competitor in the electric car market, but also in the autonomous driving space.
With a focus on the democratization of this technology and the ability to control the entire value chain of your vehicles, BYD is uniquely positioned to challenge tesla not only in sales, but also in innovation.
As 2024 progresses and the first vehicles with the DiPilot system hit the market, the world will be watching closely to see if this Chinese giant can deliver on its promises and, if so, the impact it will have on the global automotive industry. .