Tesla's Chinese Auto Giant Rival To Integrate DeepSeek

 

by Fortune

The company AI startup DeepSeek software into its cars, following domestic peers such as Geely, Great Wall Motors, and Leapmotor.

Tesla's biggest rival in China is BYD. The Monday evening announcement suggests a new price war might be on the horizon, which led to refined analysis.

We will learn more about Tesla's Chinese rival in DeepSeek-integrated Seagull budget hatchback, priced from 69,800 yuan. BYD's driving system is installed in at least 21 models that feature God's Eye.

Tesla has similar features available at $32,000. This system includes remote parking and autonomous highway navigation found on more expensive vehicles. "Autonomous driving is no longer a remote rarity in its tool," BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said at a livestream Monday event.

The company will likely help improve self-driving technology and provide a more personalized experience for consumers. Self-driving technology would become an indispensable tool like safety belts or airbags within one or two years.

Shares in BYD jumped 4.5 percent to a record high in Hong Kong on Tuesday, having already risen 20% in the days leading up to Monday's event. The firm made headlines last month when it unveiled a chatbot that can match its competitors at a fraction of the cost.

China's auto market, the world's largest, has seen a prolonged price war among dozens of EV producers desperate to grab market share.

Almost 11 million electric and hybrid vehicles were sold in the country last year, up more than 40 percent from 2023. BYD accounted for around 4.2 million of those sales, with its quarterly revenue overtaking Tesla for the first time in the third quarter.