BYD Launches China’s First 4nm Autonomous Driving Chip
BYD has introduced the Xuanji A3, a self-developed 4-nanometer autonomous driving chip that it describes as China’s first automotive-grade processor built on the advanced node. The announcement came during the company’s Intelligent Strategy Launch event. During the presentation, CEO Wang Chuanfu said the chip “represents the highest level of intelligent driving chips in China” and supports Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving.
Notably, the Xuanji A3 has already entered mass production. As a result, it will power the latest version of the God’s Eye driver-assistance system. Furthermore, the company plans to use the technology to expand city-navigation features across a wider range of vehicles.
Advanced Performance and In-House Chip Development
The Xuanji A3 features a 16-core CPU, 273 GB/s memory bandwidth, and 420,000 DMIPS of processing capability. Additionally, a three-chip setup can deliver more than 2,100 TOPS of total computing power for a vehicle.
According to the company, the chip consumes around 20% less power than comparable alternatives. At the same time, it meets ASIL-D standards, the highest level of automotive functional safety.
Beyond the hardware specifications, the automaker highlighted its extensive semiconductor capabilities. It stated that it manages the entire chip-development process, including product definition, architecture design, circuit design, layout, wafer fabrication, packaging, and testing. Moreover, the company operates five wafer-fabrication plants, employs more than 7,000 chip researchers, and has invested over 100 billion yuan (approximately $14.7 billion) in semiconductor development since establishing its first chip division in 2002.
Driving Mass-Market Adoption of Autonomous Features
The new chip serves as the foundation of the upgraded God’s Eye 5.0 platform. In addition, the platform integrates a new LiDAR system that offers 1.6 times higher angular resolution than the previous generation. It also includes a 4D millimeter-wave radar capable of detecting objects at distances of up to 400 meters.
To broaden adoption, the company is offering its LiDAR-based city-navigation system as a 12,000-yuan option across most of its vehicle lineup. This pricing is significantly lower than the 64,000-yuan assisted-driving package offered by Tesla in China.
Meanwhile, the company reported that 3.15 million vehicles already use its assisted-driving hardware. Together, these vehicles generate around 200 million kilometers of driving data every day. To further demonstrate confidence in the technology, the automaker announced a one-year safety guarantee for city-navigation users. The program covers both new customers and existing owners who receive over-the-air upgrades, and it comes with no payout limit.
