(Yicai) March 28 -- Li Auto, a Chinese electric vehicle startup, will become the first automaker in the world to open-source its in-vehicle operating system.

Li Auto's self-developed Halo OS is expected to gradually go live in open-source communities starting at the end of next month, Chairman and Chief Executive Li Xiang said yesterday at the opening ceremony of the Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference.

The open-source module will include core components, including a vehicle control OS, smart driving OS, communication middleware, and virtualization platform, Beijing-based Li said, while inviting developers worldwide to participate in system optimization and ecosystem building.

The auto industry is entering the era of general artificial intelligence, Li noted. Li Auto will make its OS fully open source to help carmakers and suppliers save tens of millions or even hundreds of millions in operating system licensing fees while improving performance and security, he said.

Open-sourcing Halo OS will likely save the auto industry CNY10 billion to CNY20 billion (USD1.4 billion to USD2.8 billion) in duplicated investments in research and development each year.

Li Auto began self-developing an OS in 2020 when the three-year global auto chip shortage began, according to Li. The firm invested more than CNY1 billion (USD145.2 million) and assigned over 200 workers to researching and developing it before installing it in vehicles last year, he added.

Li Auto's self-developed OS leads the industry standard AUTOSAR system -- an open system architecture for car software development that provides standards for making software applications -- in core performance, security, and cost efficiency, Li pointed out.

Halo OS was selected as one of Beijing's major open-source achievements at this year's ZGC Forum, which will explore the theme ‘New Quality Productive Forces and Global Technology Cooperation’ and ends on March 31.

Li Auto was profitable for a ninth straight quarter in the three months ended Dec. 31, though net profit plunged 39 percent from a year earlier to CNY3.5 billion, according to its financial report released on March 14. Revenue fell 6.1 percent to CNY44.3 billion.

Li Auto is only the world's third EV maker to become profitable after industry giants Tesla and BYD.

Editor: Martin Kadiev