Self-Driving Test Center Opens in China

Self-driving tech company Mobileye has stepped up its focus on China with the opening of a dedicated test facility.

The Israeli firm plans to use the new Shanghai Jiading Technology Testing Center to develop products for the Chinese market.

The center is in a suburban area in the northwest of the megacity that has emerged as a hub for testing of autonomous vehicles, with more than 300 roads, including two expressways, approved for use by cars with self-driving capability.

The move illustrates Mobileye’s intent to make a major impression in China and comes just weeks after it was recognized as the global leader in autonomous technology by two influential research groups, Guidehouse Insights and ABI Research.

Mobileye plans to use the center and the wider area as a base for

validation work for autonomous solutions targeted at Chinese automakers.

The company’s operations are expanding rapidly in China, with agreements to provide technology to 12 automakers.

Among these is a particularly ambitious plan with Tesla rival Zeekr, the upmarket EV brand owned by the giant Geely group.

Zeekr and Mobileye last year announced that they were teaming to develop a vehicle with full level 4 autonomous functionality that would be available for customers in 2024. Level 4 is deemed by the Society of Automotive Engineers to be when a vehicle is in full control of driving in specific locations. Zeekr and Mobileye are also developing lidar-based features.

Other Geely brands will also benefit from Mobileye tech, including its full stack SuperVision advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), which is powered by two EyeQ5 chips and features 11 high-resolution cameras, seven long-range and four parking cameras, that deliver full visual coverage around a vehicle.

“We believe that China is one of the most advanced markets in the world for developing autonomous driving technology,” said Mobileye’s president and CEO Amnon Shashua. The opening of the Shanghai Jiading Technology Testing Center not only demonstrates Mobileye’s commitment to Chinese partners and customers, but also represents the company’s firm determination to provide leading autonomous driving solutions to the industry.”