BYD is opening a new battlefront with fierce rival Tesla in 2025.
The Chinese company will roll out its advanced autonomous driving technology to compete with Tesla’s Autopilot features to all its vehicles.
The advanced self-driving technology has only been reserved for some select vehicles to this point.
According to online publication CarNewsChina, BYD will roll out the technology from its cheapest vehicle — the BYD Seagull — to its most premium vehicle — the Yangwang U8.
It is believed BYD has focused on urban self-driving and highway self-driving features in its next-gen technology.
BYD has reportedly moved very fast developing the technology, getting up to speed in about two years.
It has been reported BYD has worked with Chinese tech giants Huawei and DJI to develop the software needed to fit the self-driving technology in its vehicles.
The advanced software helps the vehicle maintain its spot in the lane while driving and can even assist with changing lanes in vehicles fitted with the future tech.
Details of the updated BYD Atto 3 filed to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology earlier this month shows the addition of a new camera in its front bumper.
This is expected to be part of the advanced auto driving technology, allowing it to better read the road and conditions ahead.
It is likely current vehicles won’t have the necessary hardware to be able to make the technology work, but model year updates rolled out this year could solve that issue.
Drivers in markets such as Australia haven’t completely warmed to advanced self-driving technology, but it is a big selling point in BYD’s home market.
It’ll also add another desirable feature to its armoury in the growing electric car price war.
BYD is one of the fastest growing car brands in Australia. Its sales grew about 65 per cent in 20-24 with a total of 20,468 vehicles finding a new home.
This is expected to jump substantially again next year with the arrival of the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute and potential plug-in hybrid off-roaders such as the Fang Cheng Bao 5, which is likely to be called the Denza B5 Down Under.