For the longest time, China was considered the country from which the technology comes. But that should change again. Does this have an impact on autonomous driving?
Of the chip shortage is also a severe blow for the car industry. It leads to production downtime and changes the way things are viewed. The chips are not only needed for navigation, the sensors also need semiconductor technology. Meanwhile, different measures are being taken in the USA and Great Britain to set the course again. What impact does this have on autonomous driving?
UK bans technology transfer to China
In the UK, a deal between British actors and China is currently blocked. It is about the vision-sensing technology that the University of Manchester wanted to license to the Chinese company Beijing Infinite Vision Technology Company Ltd. That license agreement was blocked by reference to the National Security and Investment Act, which went into effect this year.
The sensors allow a high processing speed with low power consumption and is suitable for autonomous driving. The UK government fears the technology could be used in military drones or missiles. China sees this as discrimination.
USA: Return of chip production domestically
Meanwhile, incentives are being set in the USA to move chip production back into the country. The US Senate passed legislation on Wednesday that earmarks billions of dollars for this move. The House of Representatives still has to agree, but this is considered a formality.
The so-called “CHIPS and Science Act” or “CHIPS-plus” provides $52 billion in subsidies for semiconductor research. Two billion US dollars alone are earmarked for car manufacturers and suppliers. Furthermore, companies are lured with a tax credit of 25 percent for such investments. The law is not only aimed at China, but also at Taiwan, South Korea and the EU.
Autonomous driving and the chips
It’s now a well-known saying that the car of the future will be a computer or smartphone on wheels. But without chips that becomes a problem. Chip production is also being pushed ahead in Europe, because China has fallen into disrepute due to the lockdown regarding Corona and the discussion about the misuse of the technology in the expansion of 5G technology. Keyword: Huawei. China has gained a lot of know-how, because Western companies had to look at their cards if they wanted to operate in China.
Against the background of the current development, semiconductor production is a critical factor. The return of the blocks will only exacerbate this situation. Energy might just have been the beginning. The linked world threatens to be torn apart. You only want to see that in Russia, but she will also ask this question about China.
In China, many techniques were adopted from the West. Production is cheaper than in the West, which was viewed positively for a long time. But this also goes hand in hand with a repression that will soon no longer be able to be ignored. The unlinking of global trade will also affect the autonomous vehicle industry.
The current trend towards truck automation is taking place primarily in the USA and China. Recently, Pony.ai has formed a joint venture with Sany Heavy Truck to deliver Level 4 hybrid trucks by 2014. Pony.ai is a Chinese startup that also tests and researches in the US. Nvidia chips are used here. Pony.ai wants to invest more in its homeland of China. This also happens because Pony.ai die Trial License lost in California.
However, many companies also rely on Chinese manufacturers. So many companies use the Baidu platform Apollo. This also includes German manufacturers, for example. The lidar manufacturer RoboSense has gained a certain market share with its production, which is cheaper than the competition. TuSimple, the truck automation company, also has Chinese connections.
If there is a split between markets, it will have a huge impact on the autonomous driving industry. Not only could the supply chains break, the political will could also change. Because this technology is also interesting for the military.