Chinese car maker Haval claims it will have a fully autonomous vehicle ready to go within two years.
Boss Jack Wey was speaking at the launch of the company’s first plug-in hybrid.
“Our XEV concept we showed at Frankfurt Motor Show has already reached an L3 level of automation and we are on target to reach L4 in the next two years,” he said.
Wey said L4 does not require a human for any driving actions, with the car able to respond to any situation and guide itself to its destination.
“We have focused our resources on building the largest station for autonomous driving and intelligent interconnection in China, which will be in operation by the end of this year,” he said.
The plug-in hybrid, the all new P8 SUV, launched under the company’s luxury WEY brand – is due to go on sale early next year.
It will spearhead the company’s charge towards sustainable fuel technology.
P8 boasts a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, plus electric motors at each axle.
Combined output is 250kW/520Nm and will drive all four wheels through a 6-speed dual clutch tranny.
Haval claims fuel consumption of 2.3L/100km, with a range of 660km.
At the same time the wagon can dash from 0-100km/h in a rapid 6.5 seconds.
It can be fully charged from a home power point in just four hours.
The P8 also comes safety ready, with autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane change assist, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, 360-degree camera and a streaming rear-view mirror.
