Jidu Robo-01. AI-powered ‘robocar’
In June 2022, the Chinese IT giant and China’s leading search engine Baidu introduced the first electric vehicle from the Jidu Auto sub-brand, the Robo-01. Geely provided its SEA electric modular platform. The Jidu Robo-01 is a high-tech electric SUV with an integrated autonomous driving system, a real AI-powered “robocar”. At the end of October 2022, the creation of the “Chinese Google” went into series within the Lunar Edition, which was created in conjunction with the Chinese project to explore the natural satellite of the Earth, and regular versions appeared in November. The price is 399,800 yuan (about 59,000 dollars).
Back in 2013, Baidu, the Chinese analogue of Google Corporation, had a project of its own unmanned vehicle, later called the Apollo. Since then, the IT giant keeps on trying to create a “robocar”. The Jidu Auto startup was established in April 2021 (Baidu 55%, Geely 45%) with the aim of developing and manufacturing smart electric vehicles. The new company got all the achievements of Baidu in the field of artificial intelligence and network services, as well as the SEA platform, which cost Geely 2.5 billion dollars.
Exterior
The new Jidu Robo-01 is a car from the future. Maybe it does not look like that, but upon closer examination, it becomes clear that futurism is its major advantage. It features unusual headlights with artificial intelligence that read the driver’s emotions and can broadcast them on the front optics in the form of various emoticons. Such a solution has become possible thanks to special sensors in the passenger compartment. The front doors open up, just like those of the Italian Lamborghini, the rear doors swing open against the direction of travel. There are also moving parts of the body: two lidars in front, an active spoiler in the back.
The SUV has a very aerodynamic body (cx = 0.249), without external door handles and with the frameless front doors. The Robo-01 Lunar Edition features light gold and matte decorative elements that will help distinguish the car from others. The car is close in size to the Range Rover Velar SUV: 4,853 × 1,990 × 1,611 mm. The wheelbase reaches 3,000 mm. The trunk volume is 555 liters or 1,528 liters with the second-row seats folded down.
Interior
The 5-seater passenger compartment is also very futuristic. Moreover, the electric SUV is very rich. There are practically no physical buttons, and most of the front panel is occupied by a huge display that combines a dashboard and a multimedia system powered by the fourth generation Snapdragon platform. It is equipped with 3D navigation and a voice assistant that does not need access to an external database. The vehicle offers a high-speed 5G connection, C-V2X protocol and over-the-air updates. A conventional steering wheel has been replaced by a ‘folding’ flat steering wheel: when the autopilot is activated, it literally ‘drives’ into the front panel. The list of equipment includes satellite speakers and adaptive Zero Gravity seat headrests. The Robo-01 Lunar Edition features inscriptions on the seats. In all other respects, it is fully consistent with the base model.
Autonomous technologies are also advanced. The developers announced a level 4 autopilot powered by two Nvidia Orin X chips. For its operation, 31 sensors, 2 lidars, 5 radars, 12 ultrasonic radars and 12 cameras are installed. Electronics automatically adapts to one of three driving scenarios (motorway, city and parking), recognizes traffic lights, avoids obstacles, drives in and out of the highway. Such an autopilot is capable of completely independently driving a difficult route without human control, but it has not yet been legalized in any country in the world (and will not be legalized in the foreseeable future)…
Motors
The 2023 Jidu Robo-01 electric propulsion system, consisting of two electric motors (one on each axle), develops 544 hp. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h occurs in 3.9 seconds. The CATL battery has a capacity of 100 kWh. The range is 600 km per charge (within the CLTC method).
The new Jidu Robo-01 is based on the SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) architecture, which was developed primarily for the premium sub-brand Zeekr. According to Geely, this is the first platform with the so-called open source, and it can be used by other manufacturers. It is used by the Zeekr 001, Smart #1, some models of Volvo and Polestar, as well as by the Lotus Eletre.
