Chongqing - China’s penetration rate for L2-level intelligent driving has exceeded 50%, ranking first globally. Zhang Yongwei, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of China EV 100, announced this at the New Energy Intelligent Vehicle New Quality and Development Forum 2025 held recently.
A Baidu robotaxi drives through the streets in Chongqing. (Photo/Geng Junyu)
This figure indicates that at least one in every two new vehicles sold in China is equipped with L2-level assisted driving technology. According to the April 2025 automotive intelligent connected report released by the China Passenger Car Association, the installation rate of L2 and above intelligent driving systems in new energy passenger vehicles reached 77.8% in the first four months of 2025, while traditional fuel vehicles surpassed a 52% installation rate.
A 2025 industry report by China Commercial Industry Research Institute noted that the rapid increase in market penetration has become a key driver for the development of China’s intelligent driving sector. The rising penetration offers large-scale application scenarios, access to extensive data resources, and opportunities for cost optimization, advancing the overall industry.
According to available information, intelligent driving assistance technology relies on advanced sensors, controllers, actuators, and communication modules to assist driver operations, and in certain scenarios, can even perform autonomous driving functions.
The industry chain spans a wide scope and is complex, comprising upstream software and hardware suppliers, midstream system integrators, vehicle manufacturers, and downstream service providers. Major industry participants include automakers such as BYD, NIO, and XPeng, as well as technology firms offering chips, algorithms, and autonomous driving solutions, including Horizon Robotics, Huawei, Baidu, Momenta, Zhuoyu (brand under DJI), and global suppliers like Bosch and Desay SV.
Among them, Huawei has emerged as a prominent player with its rapidly evolving intelligent driving solutions. At the launch event of its ADS 4 system, Huawei Car BU CEO Jin Yuzhi revealed that over 80% of domestic automakers have adopted Huawei’s systems, with more than 22 vehicle models already on the market.
Wang Jun, former President of Huawei Car BU, recently joined Qianli Technology, based in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, as Co-President—a personnel move that has attracted significant industry attention.
Wang was the inaugural president of Huawei Car BU and led the development and rollout of Huawei’s full-stack HI intelligent vehicle solution, facilitating collaborations with automakers such as BAIC, Changan, and GAC.
Qianli Technology (Qianli), which Wang has now joined, is a relatively new entrant in the intelligent driving industry. Formerly known as Lifan Technology, the company rebranded as Qianli in February 2025. Tracing its roots to Lifan Automobile, the company entered bankruptcy restructuring in 2020 due to operational difficulties. It was later restructured under the guidance of the Chongqing government and Geely Group, bringing in new capital and relaunching under the Lifan Technology name in 2021.
In July 2024, the company reached a pivotal moment when Yin Qi, Co-Founder of Megvii, acquired a 19.91% indirect stake in Lifan Technology for 2.43 billion yuan through his firm, becoming the second-largest shareholder. In October, Yin officially assumed the role of Chairman. Megvii is a leading AI firm, known for its strengths in autonomous driving algorithms and cost-effective smart driving solutions.
In its 2024 annual report, Qianli highlighted that 2025 would mark a strategic shift to an “AI + vehicle” model. The company now operates two main business segments: terminal business—encompassing its traditional motorcycle and NEV operations—and technology business, focused on AI-driven automotive solutions under Wang’s leadership.
To strengthen its technological foundation, Qianli has ramped up investment in intelligent driving and smart cockpit systems. In March this year, it partnered with Geely, Miletrip, and Lotus to establish a joint venture named Chongqing Qianli Intelligent Driving Co., Ltd., with registered capital of 200 million yuan, signaling its official entry into the intelligent driving market.
Qianli has already launched “Qianli Drive 1.0,” an L2+ level driver assistance system, and unveiled its roadmap for L3 and L4 systems. The L3 solution is scheduled for release within the next six months, while the L4-level Robotaxi-targeted system—Qianli Drive 3.0—is planned for the second half of 2026.
The company aims to become the “next Huawei” in the automotive sector. CEO and Executive Director of Geely Automobile Gui Shengyue stated during the company’s 2024 earnings call that Geely will collaborate with Qianli to build a “second Huawei,” seeking leadership in future intelligent and autonomous driving domains.
Despite having strong backing from Geely and AI resources, as well as experienced leadership, Qianli’s path to becoming the “second Huawei” is challenging. According to Economic Observer, Cao He, President of Uanlian Vehicle Merchant Investment Management (Beijing) Co., Ltd., noted that the current competitive landscape has largely stabilized. While Qianli has potential, breaking through established players will be a significant challenge.
Aside from Huawei, Momenta is another key player in the field. According to Shujubang.com, Momenta’s urban NOA system, an advanced driver-assistance system designed for complex urban environments, holds a 60.1% market share and has partnerships with nearly 70% of the world’s top 10 automakers by sales, including Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and General Motors.
Momenta’s core strength lies in its model, which integrates perception, planning, and control into a single framework. The system maintains high performance in complex urban environments, with handover rates as low as 0.1 times per 1,000 kilometers. It is also highly portable across platforms, while maintaining low cost and data sovereignty for automakers, making advanced driver-assistance widely accessible.
DJI, the Chinese tech firm best known for its drones, is another formidable contender through its automotive unit, Zhuoyu. In March 2025, the company introduced upgraded and premium versions of its intelligent driving platform, ClixPilot—low-cost, high-performance intelligent driving solutions aimed at making urban NOA available on vehicles priced at 150,000 yuan and below. Using only seven cameras and a Qualcomm 100TOPS chip, the system delivers map-free, vision-only urban driving at just 7,000 yuan per unit.
The headquarters of Qianli Technology is located in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Qianli Technology)
As of April 2025, ClixPilot had already been mass-produced for over 20 vehicle models, with more than 30 additional models in the pipeline. Zhuoyu has also secured partnerships with nine major OEMs, including Volkswagen, BYD, Chery, Audi, and others.
Despite the high-profile appointment of Wang Jun, Qianli’s stock market response was lukewarm. On the day his appointment was announced, the company’s share price closed at 8.29 yuan, up only 0.48% from the previous trading day.