BYD, one of the largest car manufacturers in China, announced at the beginning of February that all its models would be equipped with an autonomous driving system called God’s Eye. This decision has caused a major revolution in the Chinese automotive industry. Geely, aiming not to cede technological superiority to its competitor, has come up with a similar initiative. Now, the G-Pilot autopilot system will be available for all models of the Geely, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, and LEVC brands.
Previously, autopilot systems were considered a very expensive option. For example, Tesla offers its second-level autonomous driving system called FSD (Full Self-Driving) for $8,000. Mercedes-Benz's third-level Drive Pilot system is only available in the expensive EQS and S-class models, which have been approved only in the US and require a $2,500 initial payment and subscription. Therefore, the efforts of Geely and BYD to popularize autopilot technologies have been very appealing to Chinese consumers.
G-Pilot: various configuration levels
Like BYD's God’s Eye system, Geely also offers configurations suitable for different price categories. In fact, Geely has an advantage over BYD in this regard — it has developed not three, but five versions. They differ in both software and hardware:
- G-Pilot H1 — equipped with 10 cameras and 5 mm radars. It has adaptive cruise control, automatic parking, and lane-keeping capabilities.
- G-Pilot H3 — has 10 cameras but works with 3 mm radars. This version includes city autopilot.
- G-Pilot H5 — provides full "door-to-door" driving capability with lidar and an additional camera.
- G-Pilot H7 — has expanded artificial intelligence capabilities and a more powerful processor.
- G-Pilot H9 — equipped with 13 cameras and several lidars. It may obtain third-level autonomous driving certification in the future.
Intelligent integration
Geely is not only developing autonomous driving technologies but also plans to deeply integrate artificial intelligence into its Flyme Auto operating system. The new system will introduce advanced voice assistants and animated avatars, making the driving experience more convenient and interactive for users.
