Chinese electric vehicle maker Li Auto announced plans to open-source its proprietary automotive operating system, Halo OS, marking a direct challenge to the dominance of AUTOSAR, the widely used closed-source industry standard.
Speaking at a forum in Beijing, Li Auto founder and CEO Li Xiang said the move makes Li Auto the first automaker to open-source a vehicle operating system.
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“We are willing to promote the open source of the vehicle operating system to achieve a new height of performance,” Li said, according to remarks seen by CnEVPost.
He highlighted the system’s potential to enhance industry collaboration and reduce costs, while positioning Li Auto as a leader in vehicle software innovation.
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Developed since 2021, Halo OS has undergone significant investment, with a dedicated 200-person R&D team and over RMB 1 billion ($138 million) in expenditures. Compared to AUTOSAR, Li Auto claims Halo OS offers superior performance, security, cost efficiency, and adaptability.
The system improves response speeds in key functions like automatic emergency braking (AEB), reducing stopping distances by 7 meters at 120 km/h, while also cutting AI computing power loss by 80% and chip adaptation time to four weeks.
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Li Auto expects Halo OS to be available to developers by late April, with open-source components including vehicle control, smart driving, communication middleware, and a virtualization platform. The move follows similar software advancements by rival Nio, which launched its SkyOS operating system in 2023.