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China's DeepRoute.ai raises $100 mln as smart driving adoption speeds up

Chinese self-governing driving technology developer DeepRoute.ai has raised $100 million from an automaker, the business stated on Monday, as it aims to bolster mass adoption of its systems on cars ahead of Tesla in China.

The Shenzhen-based start-up anticipates nearly 200,000 cars to be equipped with its sophisticated assisted driving system on Chinese roads by the end of 2025, CEO Maxwell Zhou told Reuters in an interview, up from about 20,000 now.

The system can navigate metropolitan traffic similar to Tesla's. Full Self-Driving (FSD), which the U.S. car manufacturer anticipates to. launch in China in coming months.

DeepRoute.ai plans to launch more than 10 models with its. automaker clients in 2025, Zhou stated. The first model equipped. with its system introduced in August and two more models,. consisting of one under the wise brand co-owned by Geely and. Mercedes-Benz, will be provided to consumers this. year, he said.

The growing fleet will generate revenue for the business via. an innovation licensing charge per cars and truck and gather information that is key. for its expert system technology to develop faster to. deal with more complex traffic situations, Zhou said.

DeepRoute.ai's existing backers include e-commerce giant. Alibaba and the sole investor in this fundraising. round is a Chinese automaker that the company declined to call. It likewise did not disclose the appraisal of the business after the. fundraising.

Automakers have actually been completing to offer advanced. self-governing driving functions as a selling indicate draw Chinese. customers as a ruthless cost war extends among numerous models. on the planet's biggest automobile market.

Interest in this location was additional stimulated this year after. Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated the U.S. car manufacturer planned to present. its FSD system in China, its second-largest market. Experts. said the move would require other rivals to grow faster to. survive.

Zhou stated he saw Tesla as a pioneer in bringing advanced. finding out innovation to self-governing driving, but added it would. require to adapt to the local market in China.

China has more complicated traffic circumstances with. pedestrians walking on freeways and countless scooters. rushing to provide their products, he said.

Zhou said his team was also watching on opportunities. overseas such as in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East,. anticipating need for sophisticated self-governing driving innovations. could emerge in 2027 and 2028.

DeepRoute.ai, established in 2019, began establishing its. self-governing driving system without utilizing pricey. high-definition maps in 2020, while much of its peers and. automakers were investing heavily on drawing up the streets and. highways.

This has given it a significant edge in costs that Zhou said. might help automakers to build a wise EV to be priced as low as. 150,000 yuan ($ 21,063.27) in China.

(source: Reuters)