BMW, Baidu Team Up For Automated Driving Trials In China
BMW has teamed up with the Google of China, Baidu, to begin work on automated driving trials in Beijing and Shanghai.
According to Reuters, BMW says its group of research vehicles have already covered “thousands of kilometers” up and down the autobahns of Germany, and is now embarking “on a further research project which will pave the way for highly automated driving in China as well.”
The cars for the Chinese project expansion will be tackling the nation’s multi-level highways and other infrastructural challenges in Beijing and Shanghai, relying upon Baidu’s map and cloud services on-the-go to aid in a given vehicle’s navigation.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
More by Cameron Aubernon
Comments
Join the conversation
If any country needs to get their drivers off the road - China is right there at the top of the list. So many accidents and haphazard road laws (which aren't enforced anyway). I have never seen anything like it. It's a time sink on YouTube.
Yup, Google is not on the Chinese government's "we like" list. The opposite in fact. They're frozen out. No Google Imprezas snooping around constantly, so their dream of world domination is thwarted, which is fine by me. Kudos to BMW for getting on without Google help - I'm much happier that car manufacturers are involved in automated driving rather than an organization that feels it is a law unto itself, and is too damn big for its boots.
We have Alibaba testing their strength against Amazon. On the basis of profits it's no contest – Alibaba has been profitable from the start, as unlike Amazon they never had venture capital and stock flotations to let them lose money year after year. Now we have Baidu working with BMW 百度联手宝马汽车. (Hey, I've got to show off that my reading skills are improving.) Again we have a Chinese firm treading on a leading US internet firm's territory. Now in round one Google lost; they didn't do their homework before trying to enter the Chinese market and ruined their chances with a technically flawed product. My hunch is Google will lose again: entering the automotive market de novo is a very large and foolish bet. Baidu isn't about to be bluffed into playing a hand that can't be won.
"(Hey, I’ve got to show off that my reading skills are improving.)" How's the speaking coming along? Got a handle on the tonal system?