BYD (比亚迪) launches self‑developed 4nm intelligent‑driving chip Xuanji A3 (璇玑 A3)

What BYD announced

It has been reported that BYD (比亚迪) tonight unveiled its self‑developed intelligent‑driving chip Xuanji A3 (璇玑 A3) at an intelligentization strategy event, saying the chip is China’s first 4nm intelligent‑driving processor and supports L3 and L4 autonomous driving. Wang Chuanfu (王传福) led the announcement, framing the launch as a milestone in BYD’s long‑running in‑house semiconductor push that began with an IC design team in 2002.

Specs and production

According to reports, the Xuanji A3 is already in scaled mass production and is delivered as a three‑chip stack with combined compute exceeding 2,100 TOPS; BYD says deep co‑optimization of its algorithms doubles on‑chip compute utilization. L3 and L4 refer to SAE automation levels — L3 is conditional automation where the vehicle can handle most driving tasks but the human must intervene when requested, and L4 is high automation within defined conditions.

Why it matters

BYD says it now operates five wafer fabs, has produced over 2,000 chip SKUs across automotive and consumer electronics, and runs a more than 7,000‑strong chip R&D team with over 100 billion RMB of investment and four major chip R&D bases. If accurate, BYD’s claim to full‑stack, in‑house chip production — from architecture to packaging and testing — marks an unusual level of vertical integration for a carmaker. Why does that matter? Because China’s broader drive for semiconductor self‑reliance has accelerated under Western export controls and trade restrictions, and automakers that control chips reduce supply‑chain risk.

Outlook

Reporters and analysts will watch how BYD translates chip claims into validated, real‑world autonomous features and regulatory approvals. Hardware is necessary but not sufficient: sensors, software validation, safety certification and regulatory acceptance remain major hurdles before widespread L4 driving becomes reality. It has been reported that BYD frames Xuanji A3 as the next step toward tightly integrated software‑hardware control of advanced driver assistance across its vehicle line.