Electric vehicle giant BYD argues that fully autonomous driving is “basically impossible,” believing the system would be more suitable for manufacturing.
The comment originated from BYD spokesperson Li Yunfei who told reporters during the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show that the technology may be a false proposition.
“We think self-driving tech that’s fully separated from humans is very, very far away, and basically impossible.”
BYD spokesperson Li Yunfei stated in Mandarin (translated by CNBC)
He further pointed out two million people die in traffic accidents each year and that the use of self-driving cars will make it more challenging to determine responsibility.
“When we think about [self-driving tech] from all aspects, from human psychological safety needs, from ethics, from regulation, from technology — including application in this industry — we haven’t figured out [the logic] and we think it is probably a false proposition.
There may be many industries and businesses that invest a lot of money on this [tech], and after investing for many years it will prove it leads nowhere.”
BYD spokesperson Li Yunfei told reporters at the Shanghai auto show
China’s acceptance of autonomous driving tech
The Chinese government strictly regulates the emergence of self-driving vehicles to the point that selling them to the public is prohibited.
After much discussion, certain businesses have received temporary approvals from local authorities to run self-driving taxis in various areas of Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities.
On the other hand, several established automakers worldwide have been working diligently for many years to develop driver assistance systems that at least assist drivers in navigating specific traffic scenarios.
As we all know, Tesla and its CEO Musk have long emphasized the advantages of autonomous driving in the industry. Musk recently even said that Tesla might possibly sell cars for no profit and subsequently earn money from its autonomous software. Although they get a lot of attention from both supporters and detractors, Tesla’s so-called Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features are still regarded as Level 2 driver assistance features.
Although some BYD models come equipped with assisted driving technology, the company does not seem to be striving for full automation. Now, BYD even claims that it is impossible.
BYD to focus on automating manufacturing plants
BYD spokesperson Li Yunfei claims that final assembly remains reliant on humans regardless of the growing adoption of technology in production plants.
He further stated that the cost of each factory worker is around 150,000 yuan annually, including monthly salary and benefits. That will cost between 600,000 and 700,000 yuan over the course of five years, Li said.
Therefore, automated technology has a far higher value than being used in a car as long as a company can purchase it for the same price, Li said.
See Also:
- Tesla CEO expects to achieve “full autonomy” in 2023
- Mercedes-Benz to offer SAE Level 3 system, conditional autonomous driving in the US
- Ford develops a new autonomous driving unit
- WeRide to begin testing its autonomous vehicle tech in Singapore this year
- Geely Automobile unleashes 72 satellites in three years for fully autonomous driving
However, it is yet unclear how much money and technological development will be required to develop robots that can handle complex welding and other final assembly jobs.
