Baidu teams up with Geely to make smart electric vehicles

Baidu has decided to team up with Geely in its EV aspirations. PHOTO FROM GEELY

With tech companies such as Apple trying to get into the electric-vehicle game, it’s easy to forget that computing power is just one part of the equation. The end product still has to work just like a car. Chinese search engine Baidu has the same aspirations as far as eco-friendly mobility is concerned, but since the firm obviously doesn’t have any experience in building automobiles, it simply looked for a partner that has.

According to a Reuters report, Baidu announced that it is putting up a new subsidiary to build smart EVs. And its partner of choice is Hangzhou-based Geely. This venture aims to combine Baidu’s expertise in self-driving tech and Internet connectivity with Geely’s knowledge in building vehicles. In fact, there are plans to use the Chinese automaker’s “Sustainable Experience Architecture” EV-focused platform.

Such a concept is not really new with Google pioneering such a partnership with its troubled Waymo startup in 2009. But tie-ups like these seem to be the way forward for smart EVs. Just like Apple, tech firms like e-commerce giant Alibaba and ride-share service provider DiDi Chuxing are reported to be working on their own self-driving cars.


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