(Yicai Global) May 25 -- Li Auto, a Chinese new energy vehicle startup, is reportedly hiring at home and abroad to fatten its intelligent driving and chip team amid intensifying rivalry.

Li Auto plans to expand the chip team to about 200 people from less than 100 people as of last year, technology media outlet 36Kr reported, citing industry insiders.

Several executives, including Senior Vice President Fan Haoyu and Lang Xianpeng, vice president of intelligent driving, recently went to Silicon Valley for industry visits and exchanges. They also launched student recruitment campaigns.

Li Xiang, chief executive of the Beijing-based startup, said in an internal statement earlier this year that the firm aims to become the world's leading artificial intelligence company by 2030. AI firms should invest in developing more fundamental operating systems and chips, he added.

Li Auto's rivals Nio and Xpeng Motors are also striving to come up with their own unmanned driving chips. In the two firms' intelligent driving teams of more than 1,000 people, the headcount of chip staff ranges from 200 to 300. Nio plans to unveil its self-developed semiconductors in 2024.

Li Auto has made some new key hires lately as the company poached a new AI chip chief called Luo Min who reports directly to Chief Technology Officer Xie Yan after his predecessor Jiao Yang left. Moreover, the car firm has invited some former employees of smartphone maker Oppo Mobile Telecommunications' former chip development division named Zeku to join the team.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi