NETA AUTO selects BlackBerry QNX to Power the NETA S, Next-Generation EV Sedan for the Chinese Market

WATERLOO, ON and SHANGHAI, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) and HOZON NEW ENERGY AUTOMOBILE CO., LTD. (HOZON) today announced that NETA AUTO, China's EV brand owned by HOZON, has selected BlackBerry QNX technology to power its soon-to-be-produced futuristic sports sedan, the NETA S. The deployment will ensure the functional safety, cybersecurity and reliability of the vehicle's critical systems while providing users with an engaging, immersive, and digital-first driving experience.

As part of the agreement, the NETA S will use the BlackBerry QNX® Neutrino® RTOS and QNX® Hypervisor for the vehicle's new intelligent technology cockpit, the 'NETA SPACE'. In addition, NETA AUTO's full-stack NETA PILOT 3.0 intelligent ADAS technology will also feature the QNX® OS for Safety, helping realize intelligent assisted driving in multiple scenarios.

"We are pleased to partner with NETA AUTO to create a next-generation digital cockpit system and intelligent driver assistance system for the NETA S. Since its inception, NETA AUTO has always pursued the development of high-quality vehicles featuring both innovation and technology," said Dhiraj Handa, VP, Asia-Pacific, BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "BlackBerry is pleased to empower China's new energy automotive brands with our latest technologies, helping NETA AUTO to expand its footprint for the future of safe & secure mobility."

"The NETA S is a representative of NETA AUTO's level of technical strength and is dedicated to bringing the sedan to millions of homes with new levels of safety, security, comfort & connectivity. BlackBerry is the industry leader in automotive embedded systems, providing us with a safety-certified software foundation, " said Zhang Qi, Executive Vice President of Intelligent Institution, Neta Auto. "In the future, NETA AUTO will continue to collaborate with BlackBerry to bring more convenient, enriched and intelligent automotive life experiences to our customers."

The NETA S has a digital design style that fully demonstrates the power and athleticism expected of a sports sedan. The interior of the model features a stunning advanced intelligent cockpit with a large 17.6-inch central touchscreen, allowing the driver to receive important information via the minimalist display located behind the steering wheel or from the AR head-up display. Additionally, the front passenger also has an exclusive 12.3-inch passenger infotainment screen. Additional highlights of the NETA S include heated and ventilated massage seats, as well as headrest speakers, with a further 21 speakers installed throughout the car to provide an enjoyable acoustics experience for all passengers.

The NETA S is armed with the 3rd Generation Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform and the highly reliable BlackBerry QNX Neutrino RTOS and QNX Hypervisor, which allows for scalability and flexibility in its intelligent NETA SPACE. The QNX Hypervisor can consolidate multiple systems with mixed-criticality and different operating environments onto a single hardware platform, effectively reducing both the model's initial development and long-term costs of ownership, while still ensuring industry-leading safety and security.

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including 215M vehicles. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety, and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security, endpoint management, encryption, and embedded systems.  BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

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HOZON is an innovation-drive tech company that integrates the hardware products and software services based on the R&D innovation, intelligent manufacturing and multi-channel sales service. NETA AUTO, a car brand affiliated to HOZON. NETA AUTO's vision is to "make high-quality intelligent NEVs available for all". It shoulders the responsibility of breaking the norm to make travel more comfortable with innovative technologies and operates with the aim to be a popularizer of intelligent vehicles. Focusing on products and advanced technologies, NETA AUTO is dedicated to promoting continuous evolvement of electric vehicles and playing a leading role in future technology development trends.

NETA AUTO's core technologies are derived from Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Zhejiang. Currently, the company has cultivated competitive advantages in auto intelligent cockpit, which is called NETA SPACE, autonomous driving, technologies of electrical machine, battery, and electrical control system, etc. and accumulatively applied for over 1,000 patents.

In June 2022, NETA AUTO delivered 13,157 vehicles, with an increase of approximately 156% YOY, an increase of approximately 20% from May 2022, achieving a sales volume increase for 24 consecutive months since July 2020. Specifically, the sales volumes in June 2022 of NETA V and NETA U PRO were 9,147 units and 4,010 units respectively. Moreover, the total sales volume of NETA AUTO in the first half of 2022 was 63,131 units, an increase of approximately 199% from the same period last year. 

As a leading force among Chinese NEV manufacturers, NETA AUTO has further increased market share of "Made in China" products in the intelligent manufacturing and new energy field, and strengthened Chinese brand value around the globe.

Media Contact:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
[email protected]

NETA Auto Media Relations
+86-18501002778
[email protected]

SOURCE BlackBerry Limited