China’s EV makers pull out all the stops to beat Tesla in autonomous driving race
China’s EV makers are intensifying efforts in autonomous driving technology, with L3 systems expected in one million cars by 2026 despite regulatory hurdles
A battle for supremacy in autonomous driving is escalating in mainland China, as major electric vehicle (EV) makers speed up development of cars with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to lure buyers.
Their effort to build intelligent cars in the world’s largest automotive market represents a threat to Tesla’s position as a global leader in self-driving, analysts said.
“Preliminary autonomous driving systems have emerged as a new battlefront for electric car builders in China because they help propel sales and increase brand awareness,” said Phate Zhang, founder of Shanghai-based electric-car data provider CnEVPost. “The leading players are unanimous that it is necessary to equip their cars with the best hardware and software to compete in the fast-growing market.”
Consultancy Counterpoint Research estimated in a report early this year that about 1 million EVs in China will meet the Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving standard in 2026, and the mainland carmakers will continue to play an important role globally in designing and building self-driving cars.
A typical L3 car has environment detection capability and can make informed decisions, such as accelerating past a slow-moving vehicle, according to standards for autonomous driving set by US-based SAE International. But the drivers are still required to intervene under certain circumstances.
Top mainland EV makers, such as BYD and Li Auto, have all launched new models fitted with ADAS software with L3 capability. However, Beijing has yet to approve the use of L3 and higher autonomous-driving systems on the mainland, with drivers required to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times.
