Zeekr, Intel-owned Mobileye to develop level 4 autonomous vehicle

Zeekr, a new premium electric car brand from Chinese giant Geely, will work with Intel-owned Mobileye to launch what it claims will be "the world’s first consumer autonomous vehicle" with level 4 advanced driver assistance systems by 2024.

• Zeekr and Mobileye built model to come with level 4 assistance system
• Will be based on Geely’s forthcoming SEA electric platform
• Autonomous tech to be operated by Opel EyeQ 6xEyeQ5 system on chips

Zeekr-Mobileye’s level 4 autonomous car

Under their partnership, Zeekr and Mobileye will collaborate on the development of a car with level 4 assistance systems, which effectively means the vehicle can drive itself without supervision in certain situations.

The vehicle will be based on Geely’s forthcoming SEA electric platform – which will also underpin a range of future models from sibling firms Volvo and Polestar – and use the ‘true redundant braking’ steering and powertrain from that architecture. The autonomous tech will be operated by powerful Opel EyeQ 6xEyeQ5 system on chips, which will allow for both Zeekr’s and Mobileye’s software to run.

Zeekr hasn’t yet mentioned whether the autonomous vehicle will be offered only in China or in other markets as well into which the firm plans to expand, such as Europe.

Zeekr is also working with Californian technology firm Waymo on a separate project to develop an autonomous ride-hailing vehicle.

More on Zeekr and Mobileye

Zeekr, a Tesla-rivalling EV brand from China, unveiled its first car, the 001, earlier this year and is aiming to develop a range of EVs that will use Geely platforms and be offered in China and Europe.

Zeekr and Geely have already been working with Mobileye, an Israeli firm that develops advanced self-driving car technology. This deal expands on an existing relationship between Mobileye and Geely. Mobileye, which was founded in 1999, has also worked with firms such as Renault, Nissan, Nio and BMW, and previously worked on Tesla's driver assistance systems.

Scope of autonomous driving in India

While the world may be advancing fast towards autonomous driving, India is still far from such technology, with the country’s road infrastructure and driving discipline not being suitable for fully autonomous cars. However, some basic form of autonomy has started trickling in with ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems).

Models such as the MG Gloster, Astor, and the Mahindra XUV700 have brought ADAS to the masses in recent years, something that was reserved for luxury cars even a few years ago. Expect the number of ADAS-equipped mainstream cars to increase in the future, with experts, like the head of Tata Elxsi (Tata’s electronics software company), even confident of ADAS tech becoming a big thing in four to five years in India.

What are your thoughts on Zeekr-Mobileye's upcoming autonomous vehicle? Let us know in the comments below. 

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