Recently, Qianshu Technology, a subsidiary of Qianfang Technology's intelligent driving system, signed a memorandum of cooperation with Foton Kawen Automobile to jointly develop L3/L4 level electric and hydrogen autonomous heavy-duty trucks. At this point, the resource layout of Qianfang's autonomous driving mainline logistics business in terms of "vehicle road transportation capacity" has taken shape.
Reviewing the strategic judgment of Qianfang's layout in the field of autonomous driving mainline logistics: the technology loop and the normalized operation on real logistics mainlines have different levels of requirements for system capabilities in terms of safety, efficiency, and economy. The difficulty of commercialization lies not in technology, but in the ability to integrate the "technology+scenario+ecosystem" system. Based on this understanding, the company is gathering strategic resources around the four dimensions of "vehicle, road, transportation, and energy", and continuously exploring the development path from technically feasible to commercially sustainable.
Vehicle positioning: Electric and hydrogen advanced autonomous driving heavy-duty truck
The deep coupling between the auto drive system and the whole vehicle is the key to achieve system level safety and extreme performance. Qianshu and Foton Kawen cooperate, relying on their deep accumulation in vehicle research and development, manufacturing, supply chain, and industrial chain integration, as well as jointly developing based on Foton Kawen's heavy-duty truck platform. This is the world's first forward research and development "electric and hydrogen" intelligent heavy-duty truck platform, supporting both pure electric and hydrogen energy (gas hydrogen/liquid hydrogen) power.
According to the memorandum, Qianshu is responsible for developing L3/L4 auto drive system and products, and building a continuously evolving autopilot heavy truck system. Foton Kawen is responsible for vehicle definition and development, providing technical validation and mass production landing platform. Both parties will also use the intelligent cockpit as an interactive platform to jointly develop intelligent agent applications for logistics scenarios, achieving an intelligent closed-loop of the entire logistics and freight process of "receiving orders, planning, driving, and replenishing energy".
Both parties have agreed to adopt a flexible configuration of "electric and hydrogen" for the cooperative vehicle model, which not only considers the adaptability of different operating scenarios, but also leaves redundant space for the development of different carbon reduction paths in the future. At present, both parties are focusing on product definition and technology integration, and it is expected to initiate the application for vehicle model announcement by the end of the year.
Scenario Expansion: Diverse Scenarios in Mountainous, Short Range, and Inter City Areas
The real scenario is the touchstone for autonomous driving to move from software and hardware closed-loop to operational closed-loop. At present, Qianfang is collaborating with ecological partners to promote demonstration applications in multiple freight scenarios such as complex mountain road conditions, short haul transportation, and intercity trunk lines, and to verify system capabilities and operational models in real environments.
Complex scenes in mountainous areas: through being selected as a cooperative unit of the project "Research and Demonstration Application of Intelligent Driving Transport System for Freight Transport in Mountainous Cities" unveiled by Chongqing Municipal Commission of Transport, relying on Chongqing's typical mountainous urban landscape, we overcame the perception, decision-making, vehicle control and other technical difficulties of autonomous trucks in long tunnels, continuous sharp turns and complex bad weather, continued to polish core algorithms, and realized the verification of auto drive system capability.
Short haul transportation scenario: with North China
containerThe leading land transportation enterprise, Shimeng Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., has reached a gradual commercial cooperation. In the first phase, it has chosen its short haul transportation pilot route located in Yizhuang, Beijing and Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, from warehouse to production plant, to verify the economic feasibility, operational efficiency improvement, and cost structure optimization of autonomous driving technology in actual cargo loading, and jointly explore a commercial closed-loop path.
Inter city trunk line scenario: Strategic cooperation has been reached with Chongqing Digital Transportation Industry Group, the main force in the construction of Chengdu Chongqing "Hydrogen Corridor", "Electric Corridor" and "Intelligent Corridor", to carry out a demonstration of new energy autonomous driving heavy truck freight transportation integrating "vehicle road cloud energy" on the intercity trunk line. At present, Qianshu has won the bid for the leading express delivery company Chengdu Chongqing Freight Business, and has planned three transportation routes: Chengdu Shuangliu District Chongqing Jiangjin District, Chengdu Xindu District Chongqing Jiangjin District, and Chengdu Longquanyi District Chongqing Banan District. Each route is 300-400 kilometers long and passes through high-speed sections such as Chongqing Chengdu Expressway and Chongqing Ring Road.
Capacity service: one-stop coverage from transportation management to the rear of the vehicle
Transforming the autonomous driving capability of bicycles into dispatchable, manageable, and closed-loop transportation services relies on a digital transportation platform and operational capabilities. Qianfang Ecological Enterprise has a mature logistics operation service system and has provided transportation services for 50000 enterprises. This accumulation will provide real shipper needs, high-frequency business scenarios, and ready-made scheduling networks for future autonomous driving mainline logistics business.
The company continues to upgrade its comprehensive transportation service platform, providing one-stop services from transportation management, in transit control to after-sales services (including maintenance, fuel, finance, insurance, etc.). Taking in transit control as an example, by achieving real-time tracking of goods throughout the entire chain, not only can fatigue driving, route deviation, and sensitive area parking be alerted, but also bad driving and illegal exchange behavior can be controlled; It can also identify situations such as shipment without a bill of lading and false entry and exit. These will help reduce manpower follow-up costs and ensure accurate, efficient, and safe delivery of goods to their destination.
Energy support: construction of an integrated energy replenishment network for investment, construction, and operation
The density and reliability of energy replenishment infrastructure directly affect transportation efficiency and timeliness, which is of great significance for the transition of new energy heavy-duty trucks from demonstration operation to large-scale operation. Qianfang entered the new energy track earlier and independently developed cloud platforms, edge computing units and various terminal products, including a full range of charging poles. At the same time, we will cooperate with the "national team" of new energy construction - China Power Construction Group Shandong Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd., to form an integrated capability for investment, construction, and operation of new energy infrastructure.
At present, the joint venture company China Electric Power Construction Qianfang is promoting the construction of heavy-duty truck charging stations in cities such as Tianjin, Datong, Shuozhou, and Xinzhou, and is preliminarily building a supplementary energy network framework along major freight channels such as port distribution and coal transportation. By continuously accumulating experience in site selection, construction, and operation, it is expected to reduce costs and improve efficiency in subsequent promotion, providing strong support for the landing of new energy autonomous driving mainline logistics.
Looking towards the future, Qianfang Technology will further improve its ecological layout in terms of "vehicle road transportation capacity", rely on diverse freight scenarios to continuously accumulate experience, accelerate the normalization of commercial use of advanced autonomous driving heavy trucks, and help the mainline logistics industry reduce costs, increase efficiency, and transform into a green, low-carbon, and intelligent industry.
