BAIC Group Opens Two Beijing Labs for Automotive Technology

BAIC Group Inaugurates Two Automotive Technology Laboratories in Beijing

BAIC Group has announced the inauguration of two specialized research laboratories in Beijing, strengthening its focus on automated driving safety and intelligent energy technologies for commercial vehicles. On October 24, Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd (BAIC Group) announced that the Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Automated Driving Safety Testing and Validation and the Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital and Intelligent Energy Technologies for Commercial Vehicles were officially inaugurated on October 23. The two laboratories address different automotive technology requirements, with one concentrating on passenger vehicle automation safety and the other developing digital and intelligent energy technologies for commercial vehicles.

Advanced Automated Driving Safety Testing and Validation Laboratory

The Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Automated Driving Safety Testing and Validation was jointly established by BAIC Research Institute Co., Ltd (BAIC Research Institute), Beijing University of Technology, China Intelligent & Connected Vehicles (Beijing) Research Institute Co., Ltd (CICV), and Trunk Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd (Trunk Tech). BAIC Research Institute takes the lead in the collaboration. The laboratory focuses on automated driving safety for passenger vehicles and aims to establish a comprehensive research and validation framework covering different stages of automated driving system development, testing, and operational oversight.

The laboratory has established five research modules covering vehicle-side platforms, testing and validation, safety assurance, operational monitoring, and industrial applications. These modules are intended to support an integrated, closed-loop system for automated driving safety control and testing across vehicle-side and cloud-based systems. By bringing these research areas together, the laboratory will address the technical requirements associated with evaluating automated driving systems and monitoring their safety throughout their operational lifecycle.

A key objective is to provide technical support for the deployment of mass-produced Level 3 (L3) automated vehicles while advancing Level 4 (L4) automated driving testing and validation technologies. The research is also intended to support the application of these technologies to vehicle approval processes. This establishes a connection between automated driving technology development, safety validation, and the requirements involved in bringing increasingly advanced automated vehicles into practical deployment.

Digital and Intelligent Energy Technologies Laboratory for Commercial Vehicles

The Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital and Intelligent Energy Technologies for Commercial Vehicles was jointly established by BAIC Foton Motor Co., Ltd (Foton Motor), Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Technology, and TELD New Energy Co., Ltd (TELD). Foton Motor takes the lead in this research collaboration. Unlike the first laboratory, which concentrates on passenger vehicle automated driving safety, this facility focuses on energy technologies for intelligent new energy commercial vehicles, addressing three interconnected areas of research.

The laboratory's primary research areas are energy storage, efficient energy utilization, and vehicle-energy interaction. These areas cover the technological requirements associated with storing energy, using available energy efficiently, and developing interactions between vehicles and energy systems. Its research is organized around three corresponding core technological areas: energy storage, energy utilization, and vehicle-energy interaction. Together, these priorities establish the laboratory's research direction for advancing digital and intelligent energy technologies in commercial vehicle applications.

Research Collaboration and Technology Development

The two laboratories bring together automotive research organizations, universities, technology companies, and industry participants under different collaborative structures. The automated driving laboratory is led by BAIC Research Institute, with participation from Beijing University of Technology, CICV, and Trunk Tech. The commercial vehicle energy laboratory is led by Foton Motor, with Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Technology, and TELD participating. These partnerships combine institutional research capabilities with automotive and technology industry involvement, with each laboratory maintaining a distinct technical focus.

The research priorities also reflect two separate areas of automotive technology development. Automated driving safety research addresses vehicle-side platforms, cloud-based systems, testing, validation, safety assurance, and operational monitoring. Commercial vehicle energy research addresses energy storage, energy utilization, and vehicle-energy interaction. By establishing dedicated research facilities for these areas, the participating organizations have created specialized platforms for advancing their respective technology objectives and supporting their potential industrial applications.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The inauguration of these laboratories strengthens the research infrastructure supporting automated driving and new energy commercial vehicle technologies in China. The automated driving facility's focus on mass-produced L3 deployment, L4 validation, and vehicle approval processes highlights the importance of safety testing as automated vehicle technologies advance. Meanwhile, the commercial vehicle laboratory addresses energy storage, utilization, and vehicle-energy interaction, areas relevant to the development of intelligent new energy commercial vehicles. For BAIC Group and its research partners, the two initiatives establish dedicated collaborative platforms that could support technology development, validation capabilities, and the transition of research into automotive industrial applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What two laboratories did BAIC Group inaugurate in Beijing?
BAIC Group inaugurated two specialized laboratories focusing on automated driving safety and intelligent energy technologies for commercial vehicles on October 23. The first is the Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Automated Driving Safety Testing and Validation, while the second is the Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital and Intelligent Energy Technologies for Commercial Vehicles. Both facilities were established through collaborations involving automotive companies, research organizations, universities, and technology companies. Their research priorities address different technical requirements within China's automotive industry, covering passenger vehicle automation safety and energy technologies for intelligent new energy commercial vehicles.

2. What are the research objectives of the automated driving laboratory?
The automated driving laboratory aims to establish a comprehensive closed-loop system for automated driving safety control and testing across vehicle-side and cloud-based systems. Its research is organized into five modules covering vehicle-side platforms, testing and validation, safety assurance, operational monitoring, and industrial applications. BAIC Research Institute leads the facility's establishment alongside three other participating organizations. Its objectives include providing technical support for mass-produced L3 automated vehicle deployment and advancing L4 testing and validation technologies, including their application to vehicle approval processes.

3. What technologies will the commercial vehicle energy laboratory focus on?
The commercial vehicle energy laboratory focuses on digital and intelligent energy technologies for intelligent new energy commercial vehicles. Its research covers three core areas: energy storage, efficient energy utilization, and vehicle-energy interaction. Foton Motor leads the laboratory, which was jointly established with Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Technology, and TELD. These research priorities provide the facility with a defined technological focus on energy-related systems and their application to commercial vehicles. The laboratory is intended to advance research across the three interconnected areas of commercial vehicle energy technology.