393: BBA brand mocks

The discussions among netizens were very lively.

“Ignore them, they’re all just 1.6 billion haters. Radish Run is about to launch in Wu Du. If we look at the data, with Wu Du’s road conditions, who knows how many traffic accidents there would be. Would Fenglei risk its reputation for a gamble??”

“Tch, it’s just a gimmick. We’ve seen this kind of trick so many times it’s nothing new. They’ll just put a few cars in Wu Du for staged photos, and once the stock price and market value go up and investment is in place, they’ll cut the leeks and leave. Isn’t that the same operation as shared bicycles before??”

“I bet they’ll come out with an announcement later, saying something like ‘current technology is still imperfect, please look forward to it.’ These capitalists are very good at this routine!!”

“Alright, alright, you’re all great prophets, huh? Just wait until Radish Run launches, and see how it slaps the faces of you trolls!!”

“Slapping faces?? I’ll make a stand here. If Radish Run can operate normally in Wu Du, I’ll live stream eating sh*t while standing on my head!!”

“Trying to scam free food and drinks, huh? I’ll fulfill your wish!!”

“Everyone, take screenshots as evidence. I want to see how he eats sh*t then.”

The comment section was divided into three camps: one supporting driverless taxis, one believing driverless taxis were a gimmick, and another consisting of netizens watching the show and eating popcorn.

“But seriously, if even BYD couldn’t get this project done back then, can Fenglei do it? They’ve only been around for less than a year. Can they be that strong in the autonomous driving field?”

“What’s there to doubt? Fenglei is a company that creates miracles.”

“That’s true, Fenglei used to be unknown, and suddenly it became very powerful.”

“Could it be the legendary ‘cheating’?”

...

On the other side.

BYD Headquarters.

“Boss, did you need me for something??”

A middle-aged man wearing glasses entered Zhou Dafu’s office and asked cautiously.

“Oh, Director Lin, you’ve come at a good time. I suppose you’ve heard about the driverless taxis that Fenglei and Radish Run Company are jointly launching in Wu Du, right?”

Zhou Dafu, using his newly learned broken Mandarin, pointed at the “Radish Run” promotional video on the screen and said.

“Mmm, mmm, I heard about it a long time ago.”

Director Lin, whose real name is Lin Dong, is a Harvard Ph.D. and a globally renowned expert in the Zhi Jia System field. He was personally invited by Zhou Dafu to join and lead BYD Auto’s Zhi Jia System research project.

“For the field of driverless technology, Wu Du is an insurmountable hurdle.”

“Last time I went there to survey the terrain, the road conditions were exactly the same as ten years ago, with no changes whatsoever.”

“What I want to ask is, is it possible for this driverless taxi to succeed?”

“As far as I know, Fenglei’s ADS3.0 Zhi Jia System has not yet reached such an intelligent level.”

Zhou Dafu recalled his first time attending a conference in China, when he took a bus in Wu Du and experienced the feeling of racing, which still made his heart pound.

“Boss, you know that the autonomous driving field is currently cutting-edge technology, and developed countries are all researching it.”

“As far as I know, in this regard, no company in the World should possess the technology to achieve driverless driving under Wu Du’s road conditions.”

“However, Fenglei cannot be judged by common sense, especially their chairman, Ren Yi. I believe this person is a variable.”

Lin Dong pushed up his glasses and said.

“Oh, I’m very glad you rate him so highly. I think so too.”

Zhou Dafu greatly admired Ren Yi, and also held some respect for him.

To be able to bring a company on the verge of bankruptcy to its current state, and to produce so many leading new technologies, especially the micron-level chip machine, was truly remarkable.

“Every technology Fenglei has recently unveiled is cutting-edge in its respective field. Although I’m not sure if they have new breakthroughs in the autonomous driving field, daring to pilot driverless taxis in Wu Du suggests they have a considerable grasp.”

Lin Dong recalled Ren Yi’s resume and compared it with his classmates, teachers, and various big names in the automotive industry; none of them could compare.

This was a bit terrifying. Such a talent, yet previously unknown.

Zhou Dafu listened, deep in thought.

After all, they had just discussed a new battery business with Fenglei and knew that the other party was determined to succeed in this area.

“Hey, how about this then? Why don’t you go on a business trip to Wu Du and test the waters with this Radish Run?!”

Lin Dong was stunned when he heard this.

Currently, major new energy brands attach great importance to autonomous driving. Any slight neglect could lead to falling far behind.

Although they currently use Fenglei’s Zhi Jia System, who wouldn’t want to have their own technology?

As a top expert in the autonomous driving field, Lin Dong had always been holding back, wanting to make a name for himself in this area.

Even if the Zhi Jia System he developed was not as good as Fenglei’s, the gap shouldn’t be too large.

He couldn’t spare the time to go see any driverless taxis, because he had already figured out Fenglei’s algorithm, and it was impossible for it to succeed in Wu Du.

Just then, Lin Dong’s phone vibrated...

He took it out and saw that research experts from BMW and several other BBA brands had all expressed their views on “Radish Run.”

Because everyone was particularly interested in autonomous driving technology, Lin Dong had followed these people online and often exchanged ideas with them.

“Boss, BMW’s R&D director has even issued a statement.”

Lin Dong projected his phone screen onto the projector.

The fact that he received this news immediately also indirectly showed the breadth of his connections in the automotive industry.

Lin Dong was very proud of this.

Zhou Dafu browsed through these announcements, which were basically all pessimistic about driverless taxis.

Mercedes-Benz Official Weibo:

“Recently, some overconfident competitors are preparing to deploy driverless taxis in Wu Du. As a century-old brand, we believe this is irresponsible towards customer safety.”

“Because currently, autonomous driving technology is not yet mature and cannot cope with complex road conditions, especially in Wu Du, an extremely special city.”

“Therefore, this pilot project has a strong suspicion of being a show. We hope that the general public will open their eyes and not be deceived.”

BMW Official Weibo:

“As a World-leading automaker, we always prioritize customer safety and experience. The act of certain manufacturers deploying driverless taxis, in our view, is a disregard for life.”

“BMW Company hereby promises to the general public that before autonomous driving technology is fully mature, we will never engage in similar actions that jeopardize users’ personal safety.”

Audi Official Weibo:

“We are currently fully developing the latest L4-level autonomous driving technology and have achieved breakthrough progress...”

“Certain brands, for the sake of profit, are applying immature technology to the taxi industry, and what’s more, in Wu Du, where road conditions are extremely complex. This is simply ignorant.”

“It should be known that current autonomous driving technology, even in major cities with better road and traffic conditions, may not be fully realizable. We hope this brand will act wisely!!”

...