On December 15, 2021, Hesai, the world's leading LiDAR company, and Utopilot, a commercial autonomous vehicle company under SAIC Motor, signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Hesai will provide Utopilot with high-performance LiDAR sensors required for L4 and L3 autonomous driving, while collaboratively working towards the mass production of automotive-grade hybrid solid-state LiDARs. The two parties will also jointly advocate for the standardization of V2X, autonomous logistics, and safer commercial autonomous vehicles.

SAIC Motorwas among the first in the industry to initiate a series of innovative transformations of transporation. It has deployed numerous applications in the fields of robotaxis and commercial atuonomous vehicles, while also gaining a headstart in the application of robotrucks.

Utopilot relies on the technology expertiseaccumulated from “5G+L4” robotruck project, building a brand new bussiness model forL3 and L4 autonoumous driving products under specific settings such as ports and factories. Utopilot has reached strategic cooperation with leading domestic ports, such as Shanghai and Qingdao ports, continueously expanding its commercial operations. In the field of trunk logistics, Utopilotplans to release advanced L3 robotrucks in 2022 to carry out commercial operations forspecific routes.

Utopilot has successfully established three core competitive advantages in the field of autonomous driving, including full platformproprietary software and data-driven algorithm, high hashrate automoive-grade computing platform, and reliable network information security.Its L4 robotrucksare equipped with various sensing devices, high hashrate, automotive-grade proprietary domain/network controllers, and the latest generation of autonomous driving technology architecture. As of early December, the total distance driven in autonomous mode by Utopilot’s L4 robotrucks have exceeded 2 million kilometers, completing over 61,000 TEU shipments along the way.

Currently,Utopliot has already installed Hesai’s high-performance LiDARsensors on its L4 robotrucks. Through LiDAR’s accurate perception and multi-sensor5G-V2X communication, Utopilot hasachieved L4 level autonomous driving in ports.Hesai’s LiDARhas reliable perception even in harsh working environments such as damp, high-salt atmopsheres,ensuring the smooth operation for roborucks in the ports.

In the future, Upilot plans to install Hesai’shybird solid-stateLiDAR on more of its massproduced commercial vehiclessuch as the new generation L3 robotruck, automonomous shuttles, and autonomous street sweepers.

Up to date, Hesai has released variousautomotive-grade LiDAR sensors that not only have industry-leading performance and image-level point cloud, but also fulfill design validation tests conducted according to international recognized OEM standards. Hesai is the first company in the world to launch a LiDARproduct that has received ISO 26262 ASIL B functional safety product certification,a great significance forautonoumous driving system to pass high-level safety assessments faster in order to enter the mass production stage.

Wang Rui, CEO of Utopilot, said:

"In the Yangshan Portrobotruck project, Hesai has demonstrated its global-leading LiDAR sensing technology and reliability, increasing YangShan Port’s transportation efficiency exponentially. As a pioneer in the field of commerical autononmous vehicles, we are delighted to work with Hesai to enable industrialization and commercialization of autonomous driving technologies in the future."

Li Yifan, co-founder and CEO of Hesai, said:

“As one of the largest automobile companies in China, SAIC Motor has not only accumulated technology expertise in the field of autonomous driving, but also sucessfully managed robotruck’s port operation very early on. Beingthe pioneer of commercial autonomous vehicles under all operation settings, Utopilot will accelerate the technological development and commercialization of autonomous vehicles through its innovatvie bussiness model. Hesai is pleased to continue working with SAIC Motor to accelerate the commercialization of autonoumous vehicles under various settings.”

About Utopilot

Founded in November 2021, Utopliot is committed to create value for customers using AI technology in the field of commercial vehicles. As one of SAIC Motor's "Science and Innovation Giants", it will make full use of SAIC Group's exiperience and comprehensive supply chain. Focusing on L4 and L3 autonomous driving products in specific settings such as ports, factories and trunk logistics, Utopilot strives to build a new business model of "technology + products + operation”, and tobecome a leader of commercial autonomous vehicle solutions.

About Hesai

Founded in 2014, Hesai Technology is a global leader in LiDAR technology for autonomous driving and ADAS. Its vision is to empower robotics and elevate lives through high-performance, reliable, and low-cost 3D sensors. Hesai has developed exceptional R&D capabilities, accumulating deep expertise in optics, mechanics, electronics, and software. The company has been granted hundreds of patents globally for its industry-leading technologies, in areas such as proprietary LiDAR chips, functional safety, and interference rejection. Hesai’s new manufacturing center for automotive production will commence operation in 2022, with a planned capacity of over 1 million units. Hesai has won customers spanning over 70 cities in 30 countries and regions, including leading autonomous driving developers, OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and robotics companies. To date, Hesai has raised over $500M from Xiaomi, Meituan, Bosch, Baidu, Lightspeed, Hillhouse, CPE, Qiming, and other global investors.