BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle maker that is Tesla’s biggest rival, has unveiled an advanced self-driving system that it plans to install on its entire model line-up including the Rmb70,000 ($9,600) Seagull budget hatchback. Dubbed “God’s Eye”, the driving system was developed in-house by BYD and will equip the carmaker’s mass-market models with features commonly only found on upscale EVs such as remote parking via smartphones and autonomous overtaking on roads. “[We are] starting an era where autonomous driving is for everyone,” said founder Wang Chuanfu at a livestreamed event in BYD’s Shenzhen headquarters on Monday. Advanced driver-assistance systems were “no longer an unattainable luxury, but an essential tool . . . like safety belts and airbags”, said Wang. BYD has become the biggest EV producer in China, the world’s largest car market, by providing a wide range of affordable EVs built using its highly vertically integrated supply chain. However, the company’s slow progress in developing self-driving capabilities has long been regarded as one of its biggest shortcomings. Investor anticipation of BYD’s update of its self-driving technology plans sent the company’s Hong Kong-listed shares surging 21 per cent over five sessions last week.

Full story : Chinese EV maker BYD unveils a “God’s Eye” self-driving system and aims to install it on its entire lineup, including its ~$9,600 Seagull hatchback.