The intelligent automotive solutions unit of Huawei Technologies, which is promoting its “advanced driving system”, has recruited 11 Chinese carmakers to join a safety initiative, a sign of the tech giant’s influence in a field that could put it in direct competition with Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) system.
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The Qiankun intelligent automotive brand was launched by Huawei a year ago as part of its strategy to become a major system provider in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, joining China’s crowded market of autonomous driving systems as Tesla awaits final approval to put FSD on Chinese roads. In a non-binding joint statement with the 11 carmakers, Huawei called for more investment in research, transparent marketing practices, user education programmes and industry standards.
The “intelligent assisted driving safety initiative”, which was published on Sunday, was signed by Audi China as well as state-owned SAIC Motor and Guangzhou Automobile Group, among others. It shows how Chinese carmakers and their technology suppliers are highlighting safety issues following the recent fatal accident involving a Xiaomi EV.
Xiaomi was not one of the signatories to the initiative.
“We call on the entire industry to promote [EVs] in a realistic manner, clarify the functional boundaries and usage conditions of smart assisted driving, and let users clearly understand the true capabilities of their respective models,” according to the statement. Huawei would also discuss with its partners the possibility of launching an “intelligent assisted driving safety training camp” to help users learn how to use the systems correctly, it added.
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