Baidu throws the gauntlet to Tesla. The CEO of autonomous robotic car brand JIDU claims that the “Robocar” JIDU will be a generation ahead of Tesla.
During a press conference in Shanghai, the CEO shared details of his ambitious overseas manufacturing expansion goals, stating that JIDU’s autonomous driving technology “will lead the Tesla generation.” In January 2021, Baidu announced the expansion from software development to physical production of electric vehicles, joining forces with Geely to produce a new generation of electric vehicles. In March, the JIDU brand was officially unveiled with $ 300 million in starting capital. This was followed by another $ 400 million in Series A funding in January 2022, led by Baidu. JIDU’s market strategy focuses on spreading autonomous driving and human-machine interaction technologies, starting with its flagship vehicle, which will be based on a concept called ROBO-01.
After presenting the ROBO-01 for the first time during the JIDU ROBOCAR Day in June, with the yoke steering wheel, like the one adopted by Tesla, with steer-by-wire technology, i.e. without mechanical parts but only wiring , and retractable, i.e. able to fold down during autonomous driving mode. CEO Joe Xia Yiping added that a version almost identical to the concept presented at the event (a 90% similarity) will be launched this fall and will go into full production next year, followed by a second electric model in 2024.