By ZHOU Shuqi 

Smart electric vehicle (EV) company Jidu Auto, a joint venture established by tech giant Baidu and automaker Geely, is preparing for the launch of its first mass-produced car in Q3, the Robo-01. A sales and service network of 100 showrooms is under rapid construction in 46 key cities. 

Jidu’s progress has been slower than expected, and doubts about mass production have arisen. The Chinese automotive market is highly competitive, particularly in the sector of NEVs. Jidu’s success will be determined by its production capacity, cost control and production efficiency.

Jidu once claimed to be ahead of Tesla in autonomous driving, but the competition has caught up. Nonetheless, Robo's intelligent driving system, PPA, currently leads the domestic market in terms of coverage.

Moreover, the technological power of Baidu promises a lot. The question is now whether the infant Jidu can deliver on its big brother's obvious talents.