Smart, a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, and Geely have recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Deeproute.ai, a robotaxi startup backed by GWM. The collaboration aims to focus on the development of AI-powered intelligent driving systems.
Deeproute.ai, established in 2019, is a Chinese startup that specializes in the development of address-to-address smart driving technology that does not rely on high-definition maps. In November 2024, GWM invested 100 million USD in the company, leading the Series C financing round. At CES 2025, GWM officials announced that the partnership with Deeproute.ai will enhance the quality of driving assistance systems, with Wey-branded cars being the first to adopt Deeproute’s AI-based intelligent driving system.
On January 16, Smart and Deeproute.ai announced a strategic cooperation to explore AI technologies together. The two companies will work on developing intelligent driving systems with the goal of transforming intelligent driving cars into AI intelligent entities.
Deeproute.ai is currently working on an end-to-end algorithm model that can handle autonomous parking and various driving scenarios, including roundabouts, sharp turns, and roads without lane lines. Since August, approximately 20,000 vehicles integrated with the Deeproute IO smart driving platform have been delivered to customers.
In the past, Smart collaborated with Mobileye Supervision for point-to-point automatic navigation systems, offering the Pilot Assist system. However, it seems that Smart is now exploring a partnership with Deeproute.ai, indicating a potential shift away from Mobileye solutions. Geely-backed Zeekr and Polestar were also customers of Mobileye, but new Zeekr models have transitioned to Nvidia solutions.
The Smart #5 electric crossover is considered the brand’s first model to feature the Deeproute IO platform. It was introduced to the Chinese market in October 2024, with a price range of 239,900 – 368,000 yuan (32,720 – 50,190 USD). The vehicle boasts dimensions of 4705/1920/1705 mm, with the 4WD variant offering up to 475 kW (636 hp) of power.
Overall, the partnership between Smart, Geely, and Deeproute.ai signifies a significant step towards the advancement of AI-powered intelligent driving systems in the automotive industry. This collaboration has the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive and interact with autonomous vehicles in the future.
