Wey is the new luxury brand from China's biggest SUV maker Great Wall Motors.
Launched in China in 2016, the brand currently sells a trio of SUVs but is keen on expanding this in the future, including in the new fields of electrification and self-driving capability.
Wey will use this week's 2018 Beijing auto show to present its vision for self-driving cars. The vision will come in the form of the Wey-X, an SUV concept with an electric powertrain and Level 5 self-driving capability. Level 5 means a car can safely operate on its own and thus doesn't require a driver onboard.
For self-driving duties, the Wey-X relies on a myriad of sensors together with artificial intelligence and car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications. The self-driving system is said to be robust enough to handle dirt roads and inclement weather.
Wey X concept
You'll notice there isn't a steering wheel in the Wey-X. Instead, the cabin serves as an office and entertainment hub. Facial recognition technology recognizes the occupants and loads their preferred settings, and a digital assistant complete with a hologram interface can interact with occupants via voice. The car can also monitor your health through its cabin cameras and heart rate monitors in the seats.
The Wey-X also marks the first use of a new dedicated electric car platform for Wey, which is likely to see production much sooner than some of the concept's other features. The platform incorporates wireless induction charging and can be used to feed energy back into the grid, meaning an owner can sell excess energy stored in the car's battery during peak hours.
Wey will also use the Beijing auto show to present its 2018 lineup of cars, which consists of three SUVs. The action unfolds Wednesday, April 25, and you can access our full coverage over at our dedicated hub.
