NVIDIA expands presence in China's electric vehicle sector
U.S. chipmaker NVIDIA has announced its expansion into the Chinese electric vehicle market, in collaboration with four Chinese electric vehicle brands that use their technology in autonomous driving systems. The move reflects NVIDIA's commitment to expanding its presence in China, regardless of strict U.S. export regulations.
Chinese automakers Li Auto, Great Wall, Zeekr and Xiaomi are leveraging NVIDIA's DRIVE platform to boost their autonomous driving capabilities. The automotive industry is increasingly embracing centralized computing for autonomous and autonomous driving capabilities, with NVIDIA's DRIVE Orin positioned as the AI-powered in-car computer of choice for intelligent fleets.
DRIVE Thor, the next generation of AI-powered in-car computer, integrates a wide range of intelligent functions, offering autonomous driving, parking assistance, driver and passenger monitoring, and AI-powered dashboard features. Chinese emerging electric vehicle brands are a key market for NVIDIA automotive technology.
Competition among Chinese automakers to offer advanced infotainment screens and autonomous driving features has created growth opportunities for semiconductor manufacturers such as NVIDIA, Intel, Qualcomm and others. However, NVIDIA faces challenges in meeting strong demand from Chinese customers for sturdy chips while complying with strict U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductor exports to China.
The DRIVE Orin platform has a processing capacity of 254 trillion operations per second and is scalable to support Level V autonomous driving capabilities. Li Auto DRIVE uses Orin to provide full-scenario autonomous driving, advanced driver assistance systems, automatic lane change control, automated parking and automatic emergency brakes.
Great Wall uses DRIVE Orin for its advanced Coffee Pilot smart driving system, which supports automated parking, full-scenario smart navigation and assistance features without relying on high-definition maps. Zeekr has launched its luxury car, featuring the DRIVE Orin system, equipped with a new integrated intelligent driving system for automatic parking and autonomous operation on highways and urban areas.
Xiaomi is integrating DRIVE Orin into its SU7 electric vehicle to provide highway driving functionality. NVIDIA's strategic collaboration with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers highlights the company's role in developing the capabilities and AI performance of the next generation of in-car computers for future roadmaps.