Leapmotor releases first self-developed automotive-standard AI chip

On October 29, 2020, the Chinese EV startup Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Ltd. (Leapmotor) released its first independently-developed intelligent driving chip.
Leapmotor claimed that the chip, dubbed Lingxin 01 in Chinese, is close to Mobileye chips in terms of processing performance. The chip adopts a core CPU processor called Xuantie C860 supplied by PingTouGe Semiconductor Co., Ltd., an Alibaba Group business entity specializing in semiconductor chips. Additionally, the chip supports connection with 12 cameras to realize a 2.5D 360-degree panoramic view. The chip will enable vehicles to be parked automatically and is compatible with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) domain controller units. It has a computing capability which is close to that for Level-3 autonomous driving.
The chip will first be used on the C11, Leapmotor’s first battery electric SUV. This means that the C11 will be equipped with a complete set of intelligent driving solutions independently developed by Leapmotor. The C11 was developed based on Leapmotor’s self-developed modular C architecture for battery electric vehicles. The vehicle carries Heracles’ integrated electric drive system (comprising an electronic control unit, an electric motor and a reduction gear), an intelligent triple-screen head unit system based on the latest-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 platform, and a Leap Cloud system.
Leapmotor has formed independent capabilities in development and design of a series of core technologies, including key parts of electrical systems (battery, motor, and controller), vehicle manufacturing architectures and intelligent connected systems. It aims to achieve upgrades and breakthroughs in the intelligent driving field in the coming two to three years.

From a Leapmotor press release