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Chinese EV leader BYD is launching its new in-house smart driving tech next month. According to local reports, the advanced ADAS feature will roll out by the end of March.

BYD is launching its own smart driving tech

A report from LatePost (via CnEVPost) Monday claimed the first BYD city pilot assist driving feature will be available on March 30. BYD’s Denza N7 SUV will be the first of the auto giant’s 20+ lineup to receive the upgrade.

Citing sources close to the matter, the report says major cities like Shenzen (BYD’s headquarters) will be the first to see the feature rollout.

Up until last year, BYD’s sales have come mainly from mass-market models with little to no advanced driving features. However, premium EV makers like NIO, XPeng, Huawei, and Li Auto are providing smart driving tech features as standard.

With BYD entering the premium EV segment with brands like Yanwang and Fang Cheng Bao, the automaker is moving into smart driving tech.

BYD looks to produce the new tech in-house as it does with most components (a big reason behind its success).

BYD-Yangwang-U7-leaked
BYD Yangwang U7 (Source: Yangwang)

The automaker revealed its Xuanji architecture last month. Meanwhile, CEO Wang Chuanfu said BYD’s smart driving team consists of over 4,000 members. NIO, Xpeng, and others have around 1K to 1.5K, in comparison.

BYD is investing $14 billion (RMB 100 billion) to become a leader in intelligent driving. Going forward, BYD vehicles above $42,000 (RMB 300,000) will include the new tech as standard. On lower-priced models like the Dolphin and Yuan Plus (Atto 3), the tech will be optional.

BYD-smart-driving-tech
BYD Dolphin (left) and Atto 3 (right) Source: BYD

Wang said over 57% of BYD vehicle sales last year included smart driving systems. Although BYD previously outsourced the technology, bringing it in-house will save costs and development time.

Electrek’s Take

BYD is preparing to launch the Yangwang U7, its first ultra-luxury electric sedan, with nearly 1,300 hp and 500 miles (800 km) CLTC rang.

It will join the U8 off-roader, the luxury brand’s first vehicle launched in September. The premium SUV starts at over $150,000 (1,098,000 RMB) and will likely be a candidate for the new smart driving tech.

With the move into high-end vehicles, launching its own ADAS makes sense. BYD develops nearly all components in-house. Adding smart driving tech will help open new markets.

Like Tesla and Rivian are showing in the US, having integrated software stacks makes it easier to add fun features, range, fix bugs, and more. Rivian and Tesla constantly update vehicles via OTA updates.

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Tesla Model Y Havnby air mattress adds stars to Camp Mode

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Tesla Model Y Havnby air mattress adds stars to Camp Mode

With Camp Mode, Tesla started a new era for car campers. Quiet climate control, a multimedia entertainment display, a glass roof, and a large rear flat compartment area that easily fits most 6′ adults with a mattress mean that hotels on long solo drives are now optional. It can also be a nice camping option for those who don’t want to sleep on the ground, a convenient nap spot, or a nice place to relax and (Netflix and?) chill with that special someone.

When my dad got sick during Covid, I spent a lot of time on the road driving from New York to Ohio. I’d leave at night and usually start to get tired somewhere near the middle of Pennsylvania. Instead of getting a COVID-friendly hotel room, I’d just pull into a parking spot near or adjacent to a Supercharger. At the time, I was using a Havnby roll-out mattress, which was comfortable but really didn’t have the back support of a thicker mattress. Because I only planned to sleep about 4-5 hours, the mattress worked mostly fine and saved much time and money.

Unfortunately, the rollout mattress has some downsides. For one, it leaves lots of room on the sides and below for things to fall down. Phones, glasses, and wallets were all susceptible to these gaps, especially after tossing and turning. The worst part is that the pillow would often fall down behind/between the front seats.

Also, in terms of support, the mat doesn’t have great support for hips and back and required occasional mid-sleep movement to avoid pain.

So that’s where the larger inflatable mattress comes in…

Havnby’s air mattress fits inside a bag that can be stored in the Model Y subfloor “tub” or in the frunk for emergencies and that’s where mine usually lives. I also can easily fit some sheets, a blanket and a pillow/case as well. This is nice because you never know when the sandman is going to come in the middle of a long drive.

Deploying the air mattress can be done in under 60 seconds and as you can see in the video above, can be done with one hand. Steps:

  • Put down the back seats (can be done from rear)
  • Open Tub false floor and put bag on floor.
  • Lay out deflated mattress with inflator on your left side
  • Find 12V lighter adapter and plug into lighter receptacle. Turn dial to “inflate”.
  • As it inflates, grab sheets and put them on
  • Grab pillow and blanket and it is sleep time!

The air mattress expands to the edges of the seats and rear compartment and hugs the doors and wheel wells, not only ensuring the maximum amount of car camping square footage but also making it hard for things to fall around the sides. At 4.5-inches of thickness and sloping to 7 degrees of the rear seat incline, the air mattress, when inflated, is many times more comfortable than the other mats. I’ve noticed that it stays inflated particularly well over not just one but multiple nights.

If I had one complaint, it would be the quality of the 12V adapter wire, which seems a little tiny. I haven’t had problems in months of use, but if I had to guess which part would eventually wear/break, it would be this. Of course, this would be a quick and cheap repair.

Tesla does make its own similarly-priced air mattress for the Modely Y but it is thinner, has a separate inflator and is typically out of stock.

If space and budget are flexible, you can do what I do and put a mat mattress on top of the air mattress for the most comfortable, yet still portable solution. With the glass roof and premium sound, I’m tempted to forgo my regular bed and sleep on clear nights under the stars!

The experience has been amazing. You can listen to music or watch movies in a glass-roofed, temperature-controlled environment.

Grab the Havnby Tesla Model Y mattress ($249) or many of their other Tesla accessories at the online store and get a free gift. Makes an amazing holiday present for hard to shp for Tesla Model 3/Y owners. Check out other gift ideas in Electrek’s Tesla Shop.

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765 hp AUDI E ditches the four rings, keeps the sexy wagon aesthetic

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765 hp AUDI E ditches the four rings, keeps the sexy wagon aesthetic

Audi is embracing its future in China with the launch of a new Chinese market electric sub-brand called AUDI that ditches the iconic “four rings” logo in favor of four capital letters – but one thing it hasn’t ditched is AUDI Audi’s sexy teutonic long-roof design language.

As you might expect from an Audi-issued press release that claims AUDI is a new and distinctive thing that’s totally separate from Audi, it’s a difficult and confusing read. Check out this sample and you’ll see what I mean:

The first premium car brand to enter the Chinese market back in 1988, Audi was a pioneer. As it launches its new brand AUDI in cooperation with SAIC, the company now underlines its claim to this role. AUDI is shaped 100-percent by the Audi DNA and embodies “Vorsprung durch Technik” in the era of electric intelligent connected vehicles. The AUDI E concept car was jointly developed by experts from both Germany and China. It offers a preview of three future production models to be introduced from mid-2025.

Audi Media Center

Which – I dunno. Maybe you’re smarter than me and this all makes sense. Regardless, Audi seems serious about this new AUDI thing, and the first vehicle to debut wearing the new nameplate does seem to share in the Audi DNA we’ve come to know, if only because it’s an AWD wagon and not a more generically-shaped SUV.

The AUDI E concept, itself

Audi AUDI E concept for Chinese market; via Audi.

Co-developed with Chinese auto giant SAIC, the AUDI E Concept is about 4.8 meters long, putting it squarely in that BMW 5-series, Mercedes-Benz E-class range typically inhabited by the A6. Powered by two electric motors (one at each axle) putting out 570 kW (~765 hp) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque to the ground through “signature” Audi quattro four-wheel drive, which enables the AUDI to rocket from 0-60 mph in about 3.5 seconds.

The concept car is equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack that AUDI parent company Audi says is good for up to 700 km of range (~430 miles) on the Chinese cycle. The wagon’s Advanced Digitized Platform also boasts an 800 volt system architecture that enables “super-fast” charging, adding more than 220 miles (370 km) of range just 10 minutes.

Electrek’s Take

Audi’s official press release says that the use of “AUDI” in lieu of the nearly century-old Auto Union rings “signals both the connection to, and differentiation from, the sister brand.” Now, call me cynical, but that seems both confusing and somewhat cowardly to me – if Audi wants to sell more affordable models in China under a different brand name, it already has one: Volkswagen.

Creating an AUDI that isn’t really an Audi is just bizarre, and I can’t imagine this move helping create the kind of positive energy that VW and Audi needs to dig themselves out of trouble.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Audi.

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Captain Morgan gets a hydrogen Nikola in latest DHL deal

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Captain Morgan gets a hydrogen Nikola in latest DHL deal

Global logistics giant DHL is serving Diageo North America – the makers of Captain Morgan rum – with a new deployment of hydrogen powered Nikola semi trucks and a standalone hydrogen fueling station.

DHL has established itself as a leader in zero-emission trucking with BEV terminal truck initiatives going all the way back to 2015, when the shipping company put its first Orange EV yard dog to work at Diageo’s Plainfield, Illinois, terminal. As such, you might be surprised to learn that DHL is opting for a hydrogen-powered Nikola instead of the pure electric version.

For their part, the Nikola/Diageo press release plays up the “EV” part of “FCEV” in an effort to convince readers that their hydrogen trucks are just as “green” as EVs – which longtime readers of Electrek, of course, realize is nonsense.

That said, DHL doesn’t want you to think in terms of hydrogen vs. battery here. Instead, the alternatives are diesel, CNG, or hydrogen. And, in this particular application – heavy haul, easily 350-400 mile routes throughout the Great Lakes region, and limited charging available for big trucks outside of California – the hydrogen trucks might offer a significant emissions reduction compared to diesel, and that’s what the DHL pilot hopes to discover.

“As a global logistics company with the goal of decarbonizing its business, we’ve integrated sustainability as a fourth strategic bottom line named ‘Green Logistics of Choice’ in our newly announced Strategy 2030,” explains Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation, DHL Supply Chain. “The deployment of these fuel cell electric vehicles is one of many initiatives that demonstrates how we are putting action behind our words.”

In addition to offering a 500+ mile range on a full (slow-fill) tank, the Nikola trucks offer significant improvements in driver comfort and ADAS effectiveness by reducing the noise and vibration found in diesel and CNG trucks, which reduces driver fatigue and enhances the ability of the cameras and sensors to clearly see the road ahead.

“We are extremely excited to be a part of this partnership delivering the first set of heavy-duty hydrogen trucks to Illinois, home to our largest manufacturing hub in North America,” said Marsha McIntosh, President of North America Supply at Diageo. “This initiative is part of our continued work to decarbonize our footprint in Plainfield, Illinois making our operations more efficient and sustainable.”

Electrek’s Take

When the CEO of a major heavy truck brand tells you hydrogen isn’t green and doesn’t save you any money, you know there are big incentive dollars at play – and that’s OK. The US government has subsidized fossil fuels to the tune of tens trillions of dollars over the last few decades (orders of magnitude more than EVs, in fact), so the relative pennies on the dollar they’re spending on hydrogen and BEVs seems like fair play.

Whether or not this particular hydrogen pilot program will make enough sense for DHL and Diageo to continue with the HFCEVs going forward, however, remains to be seen.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Diageo, via Nikola.

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