Ji Yue,Friend Wife a Chinese electric vehicle brand co-developed by automaker Geely and search engine Baidu said on Tuesday that it will begin delivery of its first production model in October, featuring advanced in-car technology and a starting price of RMB 259,900 ($35,609). The Ji Yue 01 is one of the first models in China equipped with Qualcomm’s smart cockpit computing platform SA8295, which allowed two social media influencers to play the hit racing game Asphalt with a 35.6-inch display across the dashboard during a livestream press event. The five-seater crossover is also currently the only model available with Baidu’s full range of advanced driver assistance capabilities, which the company said would enable the car to navigate by itself on busy Chinese streets, without revealing further details. Baidu and Geely set up a joint venture Jidu Auto in 2021 and launched a limited edition of their first model the Robo-01 last October. Geely said on Aug. 14 that the two companies would launch their first joint offering under a new brand called Ji Yue later this year. [Ji Yue announcement, in Chinese]
