“In terms of the Internet of Vehicles, it can reach up to business models and down to autonomous driving. The entire development of the Internet of Vehicles must run through mature business models, and the industrial scale will see dozens of times growth compared to the existing space.”
The first half of the new four modernizations of automobiles has just concluded, and the second half has already begun.A few years ago, range was still the main selling point for many electric vehicle manufacturers, but in the past two years, a range of 500 kilometers has become increasingly common, and intelligence has gradually become the core of competition for manufacturers in the second half. In the past, “four wheels plus a sofa” often required a driver to free one’s hands. Now, as the vision of the Internet of Everything extends to the automotive industry, new technologies in areas such as smart cockpits and autonomous driving are emerging, and the relationship between wheels and sofas is expected to become a brilliant chapter in this world.As a core component of future intelligent transportation systems, the Internet of Vehicles is driving the evolution of automobiles towards networking and intelligence.Although the domestic Internet of Vehicles started relatively late, it has become an important new infrastructure vigorously developed by industrial policies, and in recent years, it has accelerated its development with the wave of electrification. The “China Internet Development Report (2021)” released at the 2021 China Internet Conference pointed out that the standard system for the Internet of Vehicles in China is basically complete, and the Internet of Vehicles has become an innovative driving force for the upgrading of the automotive industry.The user and market scale of the Internet of Vehicles is growing significantly, but as an emerging industry, it still faces shortcomings in industrial structure, business models, and safety regulations; on the other hand, due to the cross-industry and cross-field cooperation involved, there is a lack of open interactive trading platforms within the industry, low information sharing, and differences in thinking inertia and interest demands among different industries, making it difficult to build a closed industrial chain for the Internet of Vehicles, which has hindered its development.As one of the leading companies in the domestic Internet of Vehicles, Botai Internet of Vehicles entered the market during the “first generation” of the domestic Internet of Vehicles industry and is currently a representative enterprise with excellent core capabilities in the field of intelligent networking in China.In the “WISE 2021 New Economic King” series of “Annual Hardcore Enterprises” research officially released in December, Botai Internet of Vehicles was recognized as one of the “Annual Hardcore Enterprises” in the transportation field of “WISE 2021 New Economic King” due to its comprehensive capabilities and achievements in product innovation, operational health, channel & industry position, growth potential & capital performance.The founder and chairman of Botai Internet of Vehicles, Ying Yilun (also known as Ying Zhenkai), who has led the company to its current growth, once described himself as “a person who loves cars,” holding enough passion for technology and automotive intelligence, and firmly believing that intelligence will change the industry landscape.In Ying Yilun’s view, “The second half of the automotive revolution will be based on high-tech networking, intelligence, and digitalization, with chips and operating systems as the digital foundation, which will be the focus of competition.”
How does he view the “second half” of the competition in the new four modernizations? What are the secrets to leading the company to run fast and break out of the competition? 36Kr had a conversation with Ying Yilun, and the following is the interview content (edited):36Kr: How do you view the future “imagination space” of the Internet of Vehicles industry? What role does the smart cockpit play in this?Ying Yilun: I believe there is still a lot of imagination space for the future development of the Internet of Vehicles. Under the trend of the new four modernizations of automobiles and the digital transformation of the automotive industry, intelligence is becoming a disruptive force in the future development of automobiles, driving the rapid implementation of intelligent networking and autonomous driving. When the era of autonomous driving arrives, the future in-car space will be able to provide an immersive experience and a sense of ceremony for car owners through the vehicle’s vibrations, sound, visuals, and smells, combined with AR and VR technologies.Smart cars are not just tools for moving from point A to point B; they are a whole new future space, a combination of “Internet of Everything + mobile robots + metaverse.” Through better immersive capabilities, comprehensive interaction capabilities from inside to outside, and user-defined scene setting capabilities, they will bring a more personalized and intelligent car experience.In the future, physical buttons in cars will gradually disappear; some things will be updated, while others will undergo revolutionary changes. Under this premise, how can the cockpit connect with mobile devices? Currently, Botai is exploring how to promote product innovation based on user experience, insights, and operations, truly giving technological innovation new vitality.Botai’s mission is to “lead the ultimate experience of smart cars and reconstruct the lifestyle of mobile space.”Currently, in the traditional model, research institutes, sales companies, and factories are separate; we hope to form a closed loop. We have already established joint research and development, marketing, and user operation centers with some leading automotive companies. We hope to promote the development of China’s smart automotive industry through these innovative initiatives.36Kr: What do you think are the main constraints currently faced by the Internet of Vehicles industry? How should companies respond?Ying Yilun: We believe that the biggest task and challenge now is how to truly form a domestically produced operating system and achieve true localization of components while maintaining independent control. We are currently conducting application practices based on domestically produced operating systems and chips, while gradually replacing some supply channels with domestic suppliers based on iterative thinking.First, although the Internet of Vehicles has gone through 12 years of development, it is still just getting started. Under the development trend from entertainment to new energy, networking, and autonomous driving, the technological routes, systems, hardware, software, and standards and regulations need to be gradually improved.Secondly, core technology autonomy is crucial for the development of the Internet of Vehicles industry, and it currently faces challenges in both chips and operating systems. Early insufficient investment in basic scientific research related to chip manufacturing and a lack of accumulation in automotive-grade processes have led to 90% of automotive chips being imported, with most key system chips monopolized by foreign countries, posing a fatal risk to the automotive industry and the national economy. In terms of key Internet of Vehicles chips, Botai has formed a dedicated chip team to gradually complete the localization of core Internet of Vehicles chips. Mainstream operating systems are mostly open-source, with large system scales, high technical barriers, and significant maintenance costs. Manufacturer SDK kernels only focus on chip drivers, and the quality of general functions in the kernel is difficult to guarantee; open-source kernels require deep optimization and improvement for key needs (such as startup speed) and lack effective information security measures. We are also actively cooperating with domestic operating systems and have made relevant technical layouts.In addition, under the supply chain crisis caused by the pandemic, we are collaborating with some domestic suppliers. For example, screens have been completely replaced with domestic products, and other components are significantly increasing the number of domestic suppliers. Botai continues to build an advanced supply chain management model, ensuring high product quality, rapid supply, and low-cost competitive advantages through a full-process operation system based on quality management, delivery management, and cost management, establishing a flat production organization centered on planning, procurement, manufacturing, quality, process, and logistics to efficiently and flexibly meet market demand.36Kr: How do you view the relationship between the Internet of Vehicles and the entire automotive industry? What levels of business has Botai Internet of Vehicles built to establish a mature business model?Ying Yilun: We believe that the automotive industry can be divided into five levels: traditional automobiles, new energy vehicles, autonomous driving, the Internet of Vehicles, and business models from bottom to top. Automotive intelligence can be divided into two parts: the intelligence related to people is the Internet of Vehicles; the intelligence related to roads, vehicles, or future road networks is autonomous driving. In terms of the Internet of Vehicles, it can reach up to business models and down to autonomous driving. The entire development of the Internet of Vehicles must run through mature business models, and the industrial scale will see dozens of times growth compared to the existing space.The development process of the Internet of Vehicles in China has been about ten years, during which the industry has experienced five stages: security Internet of Vehicles, aftermarket Internet of Vehicles, mobile interconnection Internet of Vehicles, vertical Internet company Internet of Vehicles, and the current new era. Currently, from a technical architecture perspective, the Internet of Vehicles can be divided into autonomous driving Internet of Vehicles, security Internet of Vehicles, in-car Internet of Vehicles, automotive electronics Internet of Vehicles, software Internet of Vehicles, cloud Internet of Vehicles, and commercial service Internet of Vehicles.Based on years of technical accumulation and product delivery experience, we have established core technology platforms such as operating systems, intelligent voice, hardware, high-precision maps, and cloud platforms. We have reached relevant cooperation with mainstream automotive companies, covering cockpit hardware and software business, cockpit software + system integration business, intelligent vehicle machine and T-Box business, Internet of Vehicles TSP platform business, software To C application development, and more.36Kr: How do you view the relationship between the cockpit domain, autonomous driving domain, and vehicle control domain? From the perspective of industry competition, how should leading Internet of Vehicles companies layout their technology strategy?Ying Yilun: Now everyone talks about the integration of the three domains, so we are thinking about whether it is possible to combine the cockpit domain with the autonomous driving domain, the autonomous driving domain with the vehicle control domain, and the cockpit domain with the vehicle body domain, while incorporating some L2 capabilities using software algorithms. In the future, the logic of the cockpit’s extension will not only be about the vehicle’s screen and microphone; car lights and windows may also become intelligent. Therefore, we hope to integrate the cockpit domain with the vehicle body domain, and of course, we will collaborate with leading companies rather than doing the vehicle body domain ourselves.As a result, we will focus on several aspects in technology research and development. On the intelligent cockpit platform, we will focus on higher-end, more powerful computing capabilities, and richer integration capabilities. Botai Internet of Vehicles will choose to cooperate with leading partners, using higher-performance international and domestic platform chips, and select higher-end products for hardware. The cockpit capabilities will integrate features such as 360-degree surround view, AVM algorithms, automatic parking AVP capabilities, and visual perception algorithms DMS, OMS, including AR-HUD, intelligent headlights, etc. At the same time, the intelligent cockpit platform will integrate capabilities from the vehicle control domain and autonomous driving domain to enhance the user experience.Everyone knows that voice is a battleground today. The logic we want to convey is that if the car can talk, it will have more communication with you; it can chat with you, act as your bodyguard, and even serve as an information collector, notifying you to move your car. These functions will soon be born in a certain brand’s latest generation of models, which will be the first truly intelligent car capable of achieving interactive communication inside and outside the vehicle.36Kr: The Internet of Vehicles has dual attributes of automotive and internet; based on this, how do you think Internet of Vehicles companies should build their “circle of friends”?Ying Yilun: Internet of Vehicles companies collaborating with automotive manufacturers can each perform their duties and showcase their strengths to achieve the best results in the shortest time. I believe we should work with more technology companies, internet companies, and automotive companies in an open manner to jointly promote the intelligence and digitalization of Chinese automobiles, creating intelligent mobile spaces and providing a smart lifestyle for society. Currently, most mainstream Internet of Vehicles teams have between 700 and 2000 people, which is already a very large Internet of Vehicles company, but it is difficult to meet the current demands of technology development.So far, we have established deep cooperative relationships with major domestic clients, including strategic cooperation, joint ventures, and co-establishing research and development centers. This includes jointly establishing the Tianquan Intelligent Laboratory with the FAW Intelligent Networking Development Institute, the Dongfeng Innovation Design Center with Dongfeng, and strategic cooperation with SAIC-GM-Wuling; strategic cooperation with T3 Technology – China Automotive Innovation; participating in the high-end brand mixed reform of FAW New Energy, etc.In addition, Internet of Vehicles companies should work with partners to create innovative and open business cooperation models. We have become the only third-party Internet of Vehicles service provider in the industry that combines hardware, software, cloud + ecosystem, establishing deep cooperative relationships with mainstream automotive groups through investment and mutual shareholding. Strategic investors include Dongfeng Motor Group and China FAW in the OEM sector, FAW Fusheng in the automotive parts sector, Xiaomi Group and Haier Capital in the IoT ecosystem, the China Electric Vehicle 100 People Association in the industry association & authoritative institutions sector, Shanghai Tunnel Co., Ltd. in the autonomous driving road network bridge sector, and other important investors such as Jianxin Trust.36Kr: In addressing the issues of data ownership, usage rights, and operational rights involved in the data open model, how do you think we should engage with “expert” companies in the internet industry?Ying Yilun: First, clarify the importance of the issue. Clarifying the data ownership, usage rights, and operational rights involved in the Internet of Vehicles may explore new market spaces. The key is to establish good rules for data sharing, data application, and data supervision, with the ultimate goal of allowing the massive data generated by vehicles, roadside, and platforms to create value.We believe that the core of smart cities and smart transportation is not 5G or autonomous driving technology, but the ecology of the city and the data of the city, and whether they can truly connect. Once the data is connected, the next generation of the Internet of Vehicles will become the new infrastructure for the digital transformation of the automotive industry and new mobile commerce. Our core is how to combine the hardware, software, cloud, and data capabilities of the Internet of Vehicles with artificial intelligence and payment services to drive automotive sales forward. The digital transformation of automobiles can only grow richer and more dimensional, with higher returns on investment, if it has the ability to link the data of the entire city. In addition to innovating and iterating on the software and hardware levels of the Internet of Vehicles, we also need to fully connect the data of automobiles with the entire smart city and mine the data, allowing cars to become an entry point and platform, shaping a new value of automotive mobile space and mobile business models.However, achieving this goal requires deep cooperation between automotive manufacturers and Botai Internet of Vehicles. Our vision is to lead the ultimate experience of smart cars, reconstruct the lifestyle of mobile space, explore the space and business models of cars, and more importantly, the entire industry must be open; only through open cooperation can everyone do better. The information collected by smart cars, such as images and voice, needs to be processed after desensitization, and we call for policies that do not bind innovation while ensuring national security.36Kr: What do you think will be the focus of competition in the future of intelligent connected vehicles? From a global market perspective, what advantages does China have? What corresponding groundwork has Botai already achieved (or is still planning)?Ying Yilun: The second half of the automotive revolution will be based on high-tech networking, intelligence, and digitalization, with chips and operating systems as the digital foundation, which will be the focus of competition. With the advantages of 5G technology, China is currently in a leading position internationally in the information communication technology standards related to the Internet of Vehicles and has a certain first-mover advantage in core product research and development, maintaining overall synchronization with international levels in related autonomous driving technologies.We firmly believe that core technologies need to be independently controlled. This is also why Botai has always attached great importance to research and development investment. Having been deeply involved in the intelligent networking field for over a decade, we have developed into a leading Internet of Vehicles company in China with a local capital structure and business scale, rich resources for serving automotive clients. Based on years of technical accumulation and product delivery experience, we have established core technology platforms such as operating systems, intelligent voice, hardware, high-precision maps, and cloud platforms, possessing a full set of Internet of Vehicles software and hardware cloud qualifications, and end-to-end R&D capabilities to provide customers with a complete product solution.In addition, in anticipation of the disruptive forms that smart cars may take after 2025, we are proactively building the next generation of wireless new energy smart cars based on communication technology. Based on Botai’s understanding of the industrial chain, we are laying out the ecosystem of smart automotive components to achieve rapid industrial landing. Currently, Botai has established deep cooperative relationships with major domestic partners, including strategic cooperation, joint ventures, and co-construction, as well as full acquisitions. For example, Botai has reached cooperation with FAW Fusheng around smart cockpit-related businesses, including hardware, software, and sales channels; Botai and KBD have established a joint venture based on smart headlight business.36Kr: Regarding the smart cockpit, do you think there will still be disruptive technologies emerging?Ying Yilun: What we are looking at today is still largely within the logic of autonomous driving, cockpits, and new energy vehicles, but in reality, cars may undergo many disruptive changes. One key aspect is automotive interaction. Let me give a few examples: today’s cars are more like the internet cafes we played in as kids, connected by many wires and interfaces. In the past, the structure inside the space shuttle was more complex, but SpaceX has made it very simple; can cars also be like that?So we are discussing with some excellent ICT companies about the next generation of communication technology. If it can be implemented within two to three years, the interior of the car will be like today’s Apple computers, with only one interface, unlike the previous generation of PCs, which had many interfaces behind the main unit. We can imagine that many physical buttons in cars will disappear in the future; for example, when a new car is released, there will be a brand collaboration gift box containing many IoT products that can be used without a power source, which can be aesthetically designed and pasted anywhere in the car. For instance, when holding a mobile phone in the car, a card will pop up automatically, just like Bluetooth headphones pairing, showing all entertainment systems in the car, including cloud input, navigation, air conditioning, etc. If you slightly turn the phone up, settings for rear lights, seat massage, ventilation, and rear air conditioning will pop up in a clever way. Moving the phone outward will reveal all the devices on the doors, including child locks and door locks.What I want to convey is that in the new generation of interaction, is it necessarily the case that the final interaction is dominated by screens and voice? Not necessarily.36Kr: We have seen you previously mention that Botai is also considering the vision of the metaverse; what potential “business forms” do you think the metaverse can provide assistance to the commercial vision of the Internet of Vehicles?Ying Yilun: Everyone is talking about the metaverse now, and we at Botai are also thinking about it. Let’s imagine that in the future, when people drive cars on city streets, they can see a digital twin city through the windshield, with rich media information about history, culture, business, and emotions overlaid on real geographical locations. Cars will far exceed their basic functional attributes of carrying people from point A to point B, becoming windows to museums, guides for tourism and exploration, and platforms for life, emotions, and socializing, leading people through the virtual and real worlds.
