BYD Promises To Pay For Damages From Accidents Involving Its Self-Driving Car
Credit: BYD
BYD announced it will cover damages if an accident occurs while the Urban Navigate on Autopilot (Urban NOA) feature is active. The company claimed to be the first automaker in the world to offer such dual insurance for its advanced driver assistance systems, following similar coverage previously offered for the smart parking feature.
At a press conference on Thursday, BYD’s Wang Chuanfu explained that the God’s Eye autopilot option will cost BYD vehicle buyers just $1,770, and will provide at least L3 autonomy, which eliminates the need for the driver to keep their hands on the wheel and constantly look at the road. If an accident is proven to have occurred while the system was active, the company will cover the damage costs.
“About 1.19 million people die in road accidents every year, and tens of millions more are injured. Our first goal is to achieve zero accidents,” the BYD founder stated. He added that the average car is currently equipped with more than a dozen cameras, radars, and lidars, which is equivalent to several pairs of eyes constantly monitoring the road without blind spots. Active driver assistance systems, he said, never tire. However, he declined to specify when the new generation of the God’s Eye system would be launched on the market.
As a reminder, this week BYD unveiled the Song Ultra DM-i crossover in China, boasting a range of 1,845 km (1,150 miles) and priced at 160,000 yuan (1.7 million rubles). Also this week, the BYD Sea Lion 06 DM-i 2026 crossover, also capable of traveling 1,845 km (1,150 miles), hit the market.
