Editing by Greg Gao

Aiways, an emerging Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with LiDAR maker Hesai Technology to achieve a higher level of self-driving capability based on Hesai's new generation of highly integrated hybrid solid-state LiDAR solutions.

The two companies will also jointly develop new automobile self-driving functions in hardware equipment, software algorithms and intelligent driving assistance systems.

Shanghai-based Hesai Technology(禾赛科技) is one of the leading 3D-sensors (LiDAR) players in China, having accumulated deep expertise in LiDAR core components and production capacity. Its products are widely used in self-driving cars, advanced assisted driving systems, and robotics. Since its establishment in 2014, it has raised more than $600 million from Bosch, GL Ventures, Xiaomi, Meituan, CPE, Lightspeed, Baidu, and other global investors.

Aiways (爱驰汽车) is one of the leading EV startups in China founded in 2016 with two co-founders Fu Qiang and Gu Feng. Both are veterans in China’s automobile joint ventures with Volkswagen and GE.   

In the new cooperation between Hesai and Aiways (爱驰汽车), Hesai Technology will provide the latter with higher performance LiDAR solutions, including LiDAR hardware, algorithm, and calibration services, accelerating the launch of Aiways' second and even third-generation intelligent driving assistance system.

Aiways plans to release its second generation of intelligent driving assistance technology in 2022~2023 based on its current self-driving system. It will add 1~2 LiDARs to achieve urban driving assistance, self-parking, and other high-level self-driving functions. The company intends to achieve full self-driving capability in 2024 with its third generation of self-developed intelligent driving systems.