Bosch, WeRide to Partner on Self-Driving Tech

Chinese self-driving tech company WeRide has announced a strategic investment from Bosch for an undisclosed amount.

The pair also signed a strategic cooperation agreement and will jointly develop autonomous driving software.

The agreement aims to develop Bosch smart driving solutions in China in tandem with WeRide software to offer a more comprehensive self-driving package to potential Chinese OEM customers.

And it is hoped this will accelerate Level 2-3 tech toward mass production across the country.

“Bosch has built deep know-how in engineering R&D and technical services in this field,” said Yin Li, president of Bosch Cross-Domain Computing Solutions, China. “WeRide brings to the table its innovative capabilities in autonomous driving technology R&D, product innovation and operation services. The cooperation is set to accelerate the volume production of advanced intelligent driving solutions, and deliver a safer, more comfortable, and smarter driving experience in China.” 

Under the partnership, the pair expects to jointly develop data-driven intelligent driving software covering a variety of different driving scenarios, including urban centers, highways and elevated roads.

Specifically tailored for the Chinese market, it will include elements such as centralized computing platforms, sensors, software applications and cloud services. According to WeRide, it will be designed with a future-proof scalable architecture. 

WeRide, which is based in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, is fast becoming one of China’s biggest players when it comes to self-driving tech.

“WeRide and Bosch are both well-positioned… to drive the development and adoption of advanced intelligent driving technologies in China while lead the world in creating the best intelligent driving products,” said Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide.

Along with Bosch, investors have included Chinese automaker GAC and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, and the company was valued at $3.3 billion as recently as last year.

It claims to have completed more than 6.8 million miles of testing of its self-driving tech, which has Level 4 capability, on open roads and currently has Robotaxis, Robobuses and Robovans operating in cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Nanjing and Wuhan. 

In April, it hit the headlines when it revealed the Level 4 Robosweeper, China’s first mass-produced, purpose-built, self-driving street sweeper, which went on trial in the Nansha district of Guangzhou.