With ZXZC Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

BMW, Tsinghua University co-establish future mobility research institute 

BMW Group announced on October 24 the establishment of the "Tsinghua-BMW China Sustainable Development and Mobility Innovation Joint Research Institute" (name in translation) in partnership with Tsinghua University. The institute will focus on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, V2X, and solid-state batteries.

Photo credit: BMW

FAW Audi to introduce new Audi A5 family in China 

FAW Audi announced on October 24 that it will introduce four new models of the Audi A5 family—the A5 Sedan, S5 Sedan, A5 Avant, and S5 Avant to the Chinese market. Additionally, the China-specific Audi A5L will make its global debut at the Auto Guangzhou 2024.

iFlytek launches in-vehicle Spark large model

On October 24, iFlytek launched a dedicated version of the Spark large language model for automotive use. The on-device 1.3B model shows less than 1% performance loss compared to its cloud-based counterpart, with a first-response time of 40ms and end-to-cloud interaction latency as low as 1.3 seconds. Vehicles from Chery, GAC Group, and Great Wall Motor featuring this large model will start hitting the market in Q4 2024.

Great Wall Motor’s TANK brand launches Hi4-Z off-road platform

On October 22, at the TANK autumn technology launch event, Great Wall Motor’s TANK brand officially unveiled its longitudinal dual-motor hybrid architecture, Hi4-Z.

RoboSense secures new contracts for LiDAR supply from GAC AION

On October 12, LiDAR solution provider RoboSense and GAC Group’s new energy vehicle (NEV) arm GAC AION announced a strategic partnership, further strengthening their collaboration. RoboSense has secured new contracts for several GAC AION NEV models, reaffirming its role as a preferred partner for LiDAR solutions.

Pony.ai inks MoU with Luxembourg's Emile Weber for local autonomous driving deployment

On October 23, autonomous driving solution developer Pony.ai signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Luxembourg’s leading mobility provider, Emile Weber, to collaborate on the development and deployment of autonomous driving vehicle and technology in the country.

ZEEKR MIX mid-sized MPV hits market, starting at 279,900 yuan

On October 23, 2024, ZEEKR, an electric vehicle maker under Geely Auto, officially put its all-new mid-sized electric MPV, the ZEEKR MIX, onto the market, with deliveries beginning simultaneously. Built on the SEA-M platform, the vehicle is available in two trim levels: the Smart Driving version and the Long-Range Smart Driving version, priced at 279,900 yuan and 299,900 yuan, respectively.

REPT BATTERO, CATRC inaugurate joint lab for new energy battery innovation

On October 23, 2024, REPT BATTERO and the New Energy Inspection Center ("NERIC") of the China Automotive Technology & Research Centre ("CATRC") officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. This partnership marks the establishment of a joint innovation lab dedicated to new energy batteries.

Horizon Robotics goes public on Hong Kong Stock Exchange

On October 24, Horizon Robotics was officially listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 9660.HK.

Aptiv to invest 570 million yuan in MAXIEYE to strengthen ADAS capabilities in China

On October 24, 2024, Aptiv, a global technology company focusing on safer, greener, and more connected mobility, announced that it has reached a final agreement to invest approximately 570 million yuan in Chinese intelligent driving technology company MAXIEYE. Following the investment, Aptiv will hold an 18% stake of MAXIEYE, making it the largest shareholder of the Chinese company.