Self-driving car to hit roads in China by 2024

US chipmaker Intel's autonomous driving unit Mobileye plans to work with Zeekr, which is backed by Geely Holding, the parent of Geely Automobile (0175), to launch in China what the companies claim will be the world's first mostly self-driving car in 2024.

Mobileye also unveiled the next generation of its flagship computer chip "EyeQ Ultra" and is designed to use minimal electricity, which is becoming more important as self-driving systems compete with drive trains for limited battery capacity in electric vehicles.

The company said that prototypes of the chip will be ready next year, with automotive production of the chips expected in 2025.

Intel said last month that it plans to spin out a portion of Mobileye in an initial public offering.

Meanwhile, Japan's Sony plans to launch a company named Sony Mobility this spring to examine entering the electric vehicle market, looking to harness its strengths in entertainment and sensors - which are critical to autonomous driving - to play a bigger role in next-generation mobility.

As audio and entertainment systems are increasingly a focus for next-generation vehicles, Sony unveiled a prototype electric sport utility vehicle named VISION-S 02, and said it saw mobility as an "entertainment space" where passengers could choose individual options and use 5G internet connection.