Nio's chip R&D team has also poached many people from Huawei, Alibaba's Damo Academy, and Nvidia, and has a clear tape-out plan, according to local media.

(Image credit: Li Auto)

Li Auto has recruited a new head for its forward-looking technology development business -- Xie Yan, formerly vice president of software and head of the terminal OS division at Huawei's consumer business group, according to a report today by 36kr.

Xie has joined Li Auto as head of the system R&D department at the rank of M11, second only to Li Auto founder and CEO Li Xiang at M12, the report said.

Xie will lead the system R&D department, which is responsible for the development of underlying intelligent technologies, including Li Auto's in-house developed operating system and computing platform, according to the report.

Li Auto's computing platform business also includes the in-house-developed smart driving chip project, which already has a team size of dozens of people and a clear timeline for mass production, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The addition of Xie is apparently an aggressive push by Li Auto to move the OS and chip in-house development along, the sources said. "Xie is now fast-tracked into the business, meeting with people from various R&D lines to listen to needs," according to the report.

Xie was a core member of Alibaba's AliOS, having served as general manager and chief architect of the AliOS division and leaving Alibaba in 2019 and joining Huawei, according to the report.

Xie will be the highest-ranking executive the company has brought in since former Li Auto CTO Wang Kai left earlier this year.

Wang joined Li Auto in September 2020 as CTO, with overall responsibility for the development and mass production of smart car-related technologies, including electrical and electronic architecture, smart cockpit, autonomous driving, platform-based development and LiOS.

Wang's addition was seen as a clear signal for Li Auto to increase its investment in R&D, but with his departure, the auto industry is starting to take a wait-and-see attitude towards the company's determination to invest in core technologies, as reported by 36kr today.

Xie's arrival shows that Li Auto has not put on hold the pace of research and development in the underlying technology, the report said.

In addition to Li Auto, other local car companies, including BYD, Nio and Xpeng Motors, are also increasing their efforts on chips and operating systems.

In a report late last month, 36kr said BYD is planning to develop a special chip for smart driving, which could tape out at the end of the year.

Nio's chip R&D team has tapped a large number of people from Huawei, Alibaba's Damo Academy, and Nvidia, and has a clear tape out plan, 36kr reported today.

Nio's operating system is headed by Wang Qiyan, vice president of digital business in North America, the report said.

Xpeng has also set up teams in China and the US to promote chip R&D projects, and it has negotiated IP cooperation matters with international chip company Marvell, according to 36kr.

But it's worth noting that Xpeng North America COO Benny Katibian has recently left the company, the report said, adding that Katibian had served as vice president of engineering at Qualcomm, and one of the businesses he was responsible for at Xpeng North America was in-house developed chips.

Expert from Huawei's chip design arm reportedly to join NIO for self-driving chip development