174: Chapter 174: Is it a bit presumptuous of me to ask Bidi to teach me?

Fanmi Technology R&D Center.

The atmosphere inside the laboratory was tense, with researchers working with complete focus.

Zhou Fan stood in front of a massive display screen, his fingertips sliding across the touchscreen to pull up a set of complex circuit diagrams.

The densely packed lines on the screen intertwined like a spider web, marked with the label 'Automotive-grade MCU chip'.

"The biggest difference between automotive-grade chips and consumer electronic chips lies in the working environment," Zhou Fan's voice reached every corner of the conference room clearly.

"Cars have to endure temperature fluctuations from -40°C to 125°C, as well as constant vibration and electromagnetic interference. This makes the stability requirements for the chips more than ten times higher than those for mobile phone chips."

Zhou Guangming frowned, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table.

"What I'm worried about isn't chip manufacturing, but the control system. The electronic and electrical architecture of a car is too complex. The powertrain, steering system, autonomous driving... if any part goes wrong, it's fatal. We haven't dealt with this before; it's practically a blank slate for us."

It wasn't that he lacked confidence, but rather he deeply understood the importance of automotive safety.

If a mobile phone malfunctions, you can at most restart it, but if a car has a problem, it could cost lives.

Lin Wenwu nodded in agreement: "Engineer Zhou is right. The real-time requirements for in-vehicle systems are also different from mobile phones. For example, driver assistance, or even the decision-making response for future autonomous driving, must be completed in milliseconds. This is a huge test for the operating system's scheduling mechanism."

The conference room fell into a brief silence, with everyone wearing a solemn expression.

They were all experts in their respective fields, yet they felt unprecedented pressure in this new arena of automobiles.

Zhou Fan looked at everyone and suddenly smiled: "What's there to be afraid of with a blank slate? When we created the lithography machine from scratch, wasn't it also a blank slate?"

These words were like a shot of adrenaline, lightening the atmosphere significantly.

Zhou Guangming gave a wry smile: "That's easy to say, but the water in the automotive industry is too deep, and there are too many pitfalls we don't know about."

"That's exactly why we need to learn."

Zhou Fan put away the circuit diagram and said with a smile: "Aren't we partners with BYD? Let Mr. Lei take you there to learn. They've been grinding away in the new energy vehicle field for so many years; they must have a wealth of experience."

"BYD?" Zhou Guangming's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea! Their three-electric system and in-vehicle system are all self-developed; there's definitely something to learn there."

"It's not just about learning the technology," Zhou Fan added. "We also need to look at their supply chain management, quality control systems, and even their patent layout. We aren't just building a car; we are building an entire autonomous and controllable ecosystem."

Lin Wenwu suddenly spoke up: "I heard that BYD's in-vehicle system used to run on android before they switched to a self-developed system. They must have unique experience in adapting systems to automotive hardware, which is exactly what we need to make up for our shortcomings."

"Exactly," Zhou Fan nodded.

"So, I plan to have Lei Jun lead the team, and both you and Zhou Guangming will go. Ask more, look more, and take notes. Turn their experience into our own foundation."

At this moment, Zhou Guangming frowned and said hesitantly: "Wouldn't that be too presumptuous? In the automotive field, we are, after all, competitors with BYD..."

"In the new energy vehicle sector, everyone is still in the exploration stage. In business, there are no permanent competitors, only shared goals," Zhou Fan said firmly. "Our goal is to build up the technological barriers for domestic cars and let China's new energy vehicle run all over the world!"

"In the face of this grand goal, learning from each other and making progress together is the right path."

He paused, then continued with a smile: "Besides, if Lei Jun goes to negotiate, they'll surely give us some face. We might even be able to reach some technical cooperation. After all, our 45-nanometer lithography machine technology is helpful for their production of automotive-grade chips!"

In truth, Zhou Fan wasn't entirely certain, as they were, after all, going to someone else's factory to learn things.

BYD was indeed ahead of many companies in the field of new energy electric vehicles, and was not a bit inferior to some foreign companies. Even the current Tesla was lagging far behind in terms of technological autonomy and commercial application, having only a slight advantage in performance.

Overall, BYD's current achievements in new energy electric vehicles held a leading position globally.

And this lead, even in the future golden age where new energy electric vehicles would blossom, would remain firmly at the top of the pyramid.

But for now, Fanmi also had its own advantages.

At least in terms of systems and chips, if both sides could cooperate, there was a real opportunity for both companies to grow rapidly and leave the second tier far behind.

Listening to Zhou Fan's words, Zhou Guangming's eyes gradually brightened, and a look of anticipation appeared in his gaze.

"That's great! I'll go prepare right away and make a list of questions, striving to learn the essence of their work."

"Don't rush," Zhou Fan called out to him. "First, finish the preliminary plan for the automotive-grade chip. Going in with specific questions will be more efficient."

"Lin Wenwu, your software team also needs to follow up simultaneously. Study BYD's in-vehicle system architecture and see if it can be incorporated into our system for cars. If we have a reference, the R&D progress will be much faster!"

"Understood!" Lin Wenwu immediately took out his notebook and started recording.

The atmosphere in the conference room became lively again, with previous worries and concerns replaced by a thirst for new knowledge.

Zhou Fan looked at the group of people eager to get to work, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

From mobile phones to the lithography machine, and now to new energy vehicles, every cross-industry move for Fanmi had been accompanied by skepticism and challenges, but these people had never fallen behind. He believed this time would be the same. He knew very well that without him, the greatest strength of Fanmi was actually these people.

Their repeated breakthroughs were, in fact, a reflection of the strengthening scientific research capabilities of China.