Huawei launches world’s first self-driving 5G electric car

Telecoms giant Huawei is collaborating with the Chinese automotive industry to create what it claims is the world’s first 5G-equipped electric car with autonomous-driving features.

In a launch statement for the Arcfox αS HBT, the company said it will be the first ever car to feature “a complete intelligent automotive solution with 5G connectivity that runs on Huawei’s Harmony OS and Lidar [light detection and ranging] chip”.

According to the company, its HiCar smart screen has previously been used in another vehicle, produced by Chinese manufacturer BYD. However, the Arcfox is the first to use 5G connectivity to support level-3 autonomous driving, whereby 'environmental detection' technology will enable it to make its own decisions.

Alongside 5G, the Arcfox will also leverage the aforementioned Lidar, which uses light waves to reportedly offer “higher precision [geo-location] in certain environments”.

The Arcfox αS HBT will be available to buy from 17 April. The company says that it will be priced slightly above the original Arcfox αT which costs in excess of $48,000.