Baidu’s electric vehicle maker Jidu Auto said it will be one generation ahead of Tesla in terms of autonomous driving technology.

“Our understanding of smart vehicles is that being electric is the semi-final and being smart is the final,” Baidu chief executive Robin Li said yesterday.

Jidu plans to deliver 800,000 of its smart cars (called “robots”) by 2028, as well as launch its second model into mass production in 2024. In June, Jidu unveiled its first Robo-01 concept car, which has no door handles and can be fully controlled by voice control, with the model planned for mass production in 2023.

In addition to equipping the car with Baidu-based autonomous driving software technology, the Jidu “robots” will have two laser rangefinders (lidars) and 12 cameras. At the same time, Tesla does not use lidars.

Tech companies around the world are competing to develop smart cars following Tesla’s success in commercializing electric vehicles. We should see Xiaomi smart car next year.

The MG brand, which is now owned by the Chinese company SAIC, has shared the first official images of the revived MG7 model. The premium MG sedan will return to the market in the form of a large flagship fastback.

In the published images, the MG7 appeared in the top-end 405 VTGI Trophy package with a pair of twin exhaust pipes. The model features a sloping roof, a long rear overhang and a so-called “hardtop” design with frameless side windows.

The previous generation was based on the MG ZT and Rover 75, which were built on the old BMW platform. The new generation MG7 will receive the SAIC development platform. Inside, a huge touchscreen display will be installed, which will be divided into a digital instrument panel and a multimedia system control screen. At the same time, the manufacturer decided to keep the physical control buttons for various systems.

At launch, the MG7 will be offered in two configurations. In the “base”, the novelty will receive a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with a capacity of 185 hp. and a seven-speed “robot”, and the top version will have a 2.0-liter 257-horsepower engine under the hood, which will work in conjunction with a nine-speed automatic transmission. A little later, approximately in the middle of 2023, another, more powerful modification of the MG7 with a rechargeable hybrid power plant should appear on the market.

The premiere of the new MG7 is scheduled for August 17th.

Nio, which is known in China for its electric vehicles, intends to develop a new market. They plan to develop and produce smartphones there.

On August 4, the manufacturer registered a division of Nio Mobile Technologies Co Ltd with a starting capital of $100 million. The division is headquartered in Shanghai and co-founders include Nio President Qin Lihong. According to media reports, the company is preparing the first smartphone in 2023, while it will be cheaper than the iPhone. Smartphones are expected to be released once a year.

In addition to smartphones, the new company will sell mobile devices, wearable electronics, hardware solutions for artificial intelligence and communication devices. There will also be software development.

By the way, earlier the Chinese car manufacturer Geely acquired Meizu to also enter the mobile electronics market.