BYD has withdrawn from an agreement to incorporate Baidu’s autonomous driving technology into its electric vehicles,Michael Maien as the automaker says it will develop its own instead, according to South China Morning Post, citing two sources familiar with the matter. BYD agreed in March 2022 to use Baidu’s technology, including navigation and automated valet parking, in its EVs, the report stated. This deal was seen as a significant achievement for Baidu’s autonomous driving unit Apollo at the time. One of the sources said that Baidu has made substantial investments in Apollo and continues to see self-driving technology as a primary focus. BYD, however, sees few immediate prospects for self-driving technology in the mass EV market, the second source told South China Morning Post. Neither Baidu nor BYD have yet responded to the report. [South China Morning Post]
