Xpeng, Huawei, Nio, BYD, Li Auto Driver Assist Systems in China

By Brian Wang

Chinese automakers and suppliers have level-two-plus driver-assistance systems with LIDAR and other sensors.

There are at least 10 chinese automakers and suppliers that have unveiled driver-assistance systems over the past two years that can navigate city streets and make turns at intersections. EV makers Xpeng, Li Auto, BYD, Leapmotor, Xiaomi , Nio and Huawei are among the carmaker with level 2 driver systems.

Any new model priced at more than $30,000 in China now needs advanced driver-assistance features to compete, said Maxwell Zhou, co-founder of DeepRoute.ai, a China-based startup selling software for advanced driver-assistance systems.

Before Huawei started sticking lidars on cars, XPeng was the original autonomous driving leader in China. Their P5 was the first production car in the world to be fitted with lidar and boast city autonomous driving, but only in one city. In 2023, XPeng G6, XNGP was launched covering four Chinese cities.

China has the potential to become the world's largest market for autonomous vehicles, with total sales predicted to hit US$230 billion by 2030, according to a report from global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Carmakers in China have two options: either develop an autonomous vehicle themselves or form alliances with suppliers.