Plan to have positioning performance in cm unit
Expected effect of extending electric vehicle battery life
Tesla and Toyota are also actively investing in satellites.
On the 23rd of last month, China’s largest private automaker Geely Motors announced its “Galaxy Smart Driving” plan, which includes launching 72 satellites into low-earth orbit by 2025. It plans to establish a space satellite network so that vehicles can have centimeter-precise localization performance and realize full autonomous driving of vehicles using high-precision maps. It is evaluated that the use of satellites by automobile companies is becoming a reality, such as Elon Musk’s electric car company Tesla, which is also seeking ways to connect with space company SpaceX’s satellite Internet ‘Starlink’.
Geely is a privately owned company founded in 1986. It has survived competition with state-owned automakers that have grown with the full support of the Chinese government, such as Shanghai Motors. According to the China Automobile Manufacturers Association, Geely is ranked second in sales among finished car makers as of 2021.
Geely expanded its reach by acquiring Swedish car brand Volvo in 2010 and British sports car brand Lotus in 2017. In 2018, it also acquired a 9.7% stake in Mercedes-Benz, Germany, and a 32.02% stake in Renault Korea Motors in 2022.
The ‘Galaxy Smart Driving’ plan presented by Geely, which is aggressively expanding its business, contains a determination to focus on developing electric vehicles in the future and seek new innovation through satellite technology. Prior to announcing the Galaxy Smart Driving plan, Geely Car established a space division called ‘G-Space’ in 2018, a division that develops autonomous driving solutions through the establishment of a satellite network.
In order to realize fully autonomous driving, it is necessary to analyze the surrounding environment in real time based on the satellite image that the vehicle receives. Fast communication speed is essential for satellite image transmission. Geely Car believes that satellites will speed up communication as well as image taking. Geely said, “With this plan, we will not only show Geely’s latest technological advancements, but also provide passengers with a safer and smarter electric vehicle experience.”
Geely expects that establishing a satellite network will not only realize fully autonomous driving, but also increase the battery life of electric vehicles by up to 20%. In order to increase the mileage of an electric vehicle, it is necessary to maximize the energy density by increasing the charging voltage of the lithium ion battery, but if the charging voltage exceeds the ‘safe upper limit’, the battery life span shortens and thermal runaway occurs, leading to an explosion. Geely Car predicted that it would be possible to prevent thermal runaway and manage the charging voltage through quick data analysis through the establishment of a satellite network.
Shooting 72 satellites by 2025 is the first plan, and Geely Car plans to shoot an additional 168 satellites to put a total of 240 satellites into orbit.
In addition to Geely, other automakers are also keen on investing in satellites. In the form of a consortium, Japan’s Toyota invested $8 million (approximately 10.5 billion won) in 2021 in Sonar Space Systems, an American satellite navigation startup. The idea is to realize complete autonomous driving by using satellite navigation. German car brands such as BMW are also expanding the use of satellites. Hyundai Motor signed a strategic agreement with KT last year and is exploring the possibility of using satellites.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.