Chery is planning at least five models with L2+ assisted driving capabilities based on its E0X platform, which will use Horizon Robotics' Journey 3 chip as the computing cornerstone.

(Image credit: Horizon Robotics)

Chery Automobile has become the latest investor in Horizon Robotics, with a large number of car companies backing the homegrown Chinese self-driving chipmaker.

Horizon Robotics announced on Monday that it has closed a strategic investment from Chery, which will be used primarily for the development and mass production of in-vehicle smart chips. The company did not disclose the amount of the investment.

Chery's new high-end smart electric vehicle (EV) platform, the E0X, will use Horizon Robotics' Journey 3 chip as the computing cornerstone, according to the chipmaker.

Chery has planned at least five models with L2+ or higher assisted driving capabilities based on the platform, the first of which, the Chery E03, will be launched in 2023 and will enable NOP (Navigate on Pilot) assisted driving functions for highways and urban areas.

The two parties are also building models with advanced driver assistance system capabilities based on the Journey 2 chip, which will be launched within this year, according to Horizon Robotics.

Horizon Robotics, which was founded in 2015, launched the Journey 2 chip in 2019, the first automotive-grade AI chip design by a Chinese company. Its Journey 3 chip was previously used by in the 2021 Li ONE.

On July 29, 2021, Horizon Robotics launched the Journey 5 chip and plans to launch the Journey 6 chip in 2023.

By the end of 2021, Horizon Robotics' cumulative shipments of its Journey family of chips exceeded 1 million, according to data previously announced by the company.

Since its inception, the company has received investments from leading companies including SAIC, GAC Capital, Great Wall Motor, Dongfeng Asset Management, BYD, FAW Group, Intel, SK Hynix, and .

So far, Horizon Robotics has signed supply agreements with more than 20 car companies covering more than 70 models, according to the company's announcement on Monday.

In May, XEV Lab, a WeChat account focused on the smart car industry, citing unnamed suppliers, reported that Nio was evaluating whether to use Horizon Robotics' Journey 5 chip in models of its mass-market-oriented sub-brand.

Horizon Robotics entered into a strategic partnership with Chery in 2021, which launched the TIGGO 8 PRO, OMODA 5 this year with a multimode interaction solution based on the Journey 3 chip to enable industry-leading smart cockpit features, the chipmaker said.

NIO said to be evaluating Horizon Robotics' chip for use in sub-brand models