China electric cars: Baidu and Geely hire Mobike’s co-founder as chief executive of EV venture

Name: China’s automated driving technology speeds ahead with research by search engine giant Baidu
Uploaded: 2021-02-19T09:30:10.000Z
Duration: 4 min 7 s
Description: China’s automated driving technology speeds ahead with research by search engine giant Baidu

Xia Yiping, co-founder and former chief technology officer of Mobike, has been tapped to head a new venture between Baidu and Geely

Baidu is setting up a company with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to leverage its intelligent driving capabilities and Geely’s car manufacturing expertise

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Xia Yiping, co-founder of Mobike, giving a speech about bike-sharing at the Mobike Thailand Strategic Cooperation Conference in Bangkok on August 30, 2017. Photo: Xinhua

Che Panin BeijingandZhang Shidongin Shanghai

Published: 5:30pm, 19 Feb 2021Updated: 5:30pm, 19 Feb 2021

China’s search engine giant Baidu and carmaker Geely have designated Mobike co-founder and former chief technology officer Xia Yiping as chief executive officer of their new electric vehicle venture, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Baidu announced last month it would establish a new venture with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to produce electric vehicles by leveraging its capabilities in autonomous driving technologies and Geely’s expertise in car design and manufacturing.

Robin Li, Baidu CEO and founder, said on Thursday the venture partners have found a chief executive, without giving the name. He also said they have decided on the brand under which a new electric vehicle model will be launched in around three years.

Baidu’s smart car initiative has come as the company pushes to monetise the autonomous driving technologies that it has been developing since 2013 within its autonomous driving division Baidu Apollo. Li also said Apollo would remain open to supply its technologies to other car manufacturers.

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China’s automated driving technology speeds ahead with research by search engine giant Baidu

The source requested anonymity as the information was not public yet. Reuters first reported Xia’s appointment citing two anonymous sources.

Baidu declined to provide comment. Xia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.