The event, held by Bosch every two years, is the company’s largest technology experience in Asia-Pacific.
Media guests and business associates at the event eagerly booked slots to experience the semi-autonomous Autopilot driving technology in the 1.8-litre turbocharged Changan Raeton on the roads of the Suzhou Industrial Park.
The Raeton was fitted with Highway Assist technology from Bosch, which includes five mid-range radar sensors and a smart camera.
The semi-autonomous Autopilot can function at speeds of up to 130kph, and automatic lane change via voice command (where Bosch systems will check for objects in the targetted adjacent lane before making the lane change).
When it comes to automation, Bosch established one of its core businesses – the driver assistance systems business unit – in China four years ago.
It has also started focusing on valet parking and connected parking technologies in China, which will make parking easier and less time consuming in big cities with limited parking spaces and increasing car population.
Bosch Highway Assist.
As to electrification, Bosch believes that electric vehicles will be a future trend, but traditional internal combustion engines will still be important.
The company aims to lower the fuel consumption of traditional internal combustion engines by as much as 30 percent.
Hybrid technologies will also become a solution in the transition from traditional engines to electric motors.
Bosch is also attaching strategic importance to other three strategic sectors: two-wheelers, commercial vehicles and off-road (CVO) and mobility services.
The newly established “Commercial Vehicles and Off-Road” unit is applying connectivity, automation, and electrification to commercial vehicles to improve the overall efficiency and safety of the logistics ecosystem.
Worldwide sales in this segment are expected to double in the next 10 years.
