Chinese automaker Geely said Tuesday that it plans to launch two commercial low-Earth-orbit satellites by the end of this year, a move that could give it an edge in the company’s push to develop autonomous vehicles.

The satellites are expected to provide high-precision positioning accurate to within a few centimeters, combined with low-latency communications services to vehicles with advanced self-driving capabilities, the company said.

The satellite prototype is designed by Zhejiang-based aerospace technology startup Shikong Daoyu, which is 70% owned by a Geely subsidiary.

Also on Tuesday, Geely said in a statement on its public WeChat account that it has started building a satellite manufacturing and testing center in Taizhou, a city in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)

Related: Geely’s Volvo Links Up With China Unicom on 5G for Self-Driving Cars