Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer NIO and smartphone producer Xiaomi have made significant strides in the Chinese semiconductor industry, as they announce their latest products.
NIO unveiled its first autonomous driving chip, the Shenji NX9031 SoC, which claims to outperform NVIDIA’s Drive Orin chips. This move indicates China’s efforts in developing its own semiconductor technology and reducing dependence on imports.
The NX9031 chip will be used in NIO’s latest model, the ET9 luxury EV priced at around $113,000. The chip features a 32-core Arm CPU, neural processing unit (NPU), graphics core, and over 50 billion transistors. It also supports lidar data processing and collaborates with NIO’s vehicle operating system.
On the other hand, Xiaomi introduced its first electric car, the Xiaomi SU7, aiming to compete with well-established car manufacturers like Porsche and Tesla. The sedan is equipped with NVIDIA’s Drive Orin chips for assisted and autonomous driving, as well as Xiaomi’s own operating system. Demonstrative videos showcase the vehicle’s abilities in obstacle avoidance and driverless parking.
These developments pose a serious challenge for NVIDIA and Apple in the Chinese market. NVIDIA is already working on Drive Thor, the successor to Drive Orin, which boasts twice the computing power. Meanwhile, rumors surrounding Apple’s autonomous vehicle project cause delays and lack of information. Xiaomi’s entry into the electric vehicle market, along with Huawei’s earlier entry in 2021, demonstrates China’s determination to solidify its position in the industry.
Despite sanctions, Huawei has developed its own integrated circuits for automotive use and an operating system. Their Ascend SoC in their mobile data center enables Level 4 automated driving under defined conditions. Domestic brands challenging established manufacturers showcase China’s ambitions to become a global force in the automotive and semiconductor industries. Progress in semiconductor technology brings China closer to independence from foreign imports and achieving self-sufficiency in this crucial sector.
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The source of the article is from the blog crasel.tk