Mass rollout set to begin of smart car technology

Xpeng's modular flying car, the Land Aircraft Carrier, is exhibited in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. (CHINA DAILY)

Smart driving is now a must for new vehicles in China, as major carmakers roll out the feature for mass-market models.

One day last week saw three companies — Chery, GAC and Geely's premium arm Zeekr — announce ambitious plans for the technology that was reserved for premium vehicles.

Chery, Chinese partner of Jaguar Land Rover, unveiled its Falcon smart driving system on Tuesday, saying it will be available across all its brands.

Li Xueyong, Chery's executive vice-president, said more than 30 models of different powertrains will be equipped with the Falcon system by the end of 2025.

The most affordable of them will be the Chery Ant, a mini electric car. With a pre-order price of 65,900 yuan ($9,116), it boasts 23 smart driving functions including automatic parking and Navigate on Autopilot on expressways.

There are three Falcon solutions: the Falcon 500, 700 and 900, with the last one boasting Level 3 capabilities.

Autonomous driving is rated at six levels, from zero to five, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers. A Level 2 vehicle can steer, brake and accelerate itself in certain situations, but the drivers must be ready to step in at any time.

Level 3 cars, in certain areas and under certain conditions, will steer, brake and accelerate by themselves, allowing the drivers to take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road. Chery said its high-level smart driving models will hit the European market in 2026.

GAC Group unveiled its intelligent driving strategy on Tuesday as well. Feng Xingya, chairman and president of GAC Group, said intelligent driving capabilities will become a critical standard for evaluating automotive products in the future.

He said GAC will launch China's first mass-produced Level 3 model by the end of 2025, and it will offer Level 4 vehicles to private car buyers from 2027.

Earlier this year, Xpeng said it is to launch quasi-L3 software in mid-2025, and full L3 capabilities are to be revealed at the end of the year.

Changan said it aims to achieve full-scenario L3 driving in 2026, with aspirations to reach L4 capabilities by 2028.

In terms of Level 2 features, China's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD, fired the first salvo in February, equipping its entire lineup with advanced intelligent driving systems. Among other things, it enables vehicles to drive on expressways and park automatically.

The most affordable of its models with the feature on the market is the Seagull, priced at 69,800 yuan. The carmaker said its move aims to offer volume car owners access to intelligent driving features to increase safety.

It said 21 percent of traffic accidents in China are due to fatigued drivers, which can be prevented by automatic emergency braking or steering.

"We believe that intelligent driving should not be a luxury but a standard feature for all consumers," said Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD. "By making high-level driver assistance available across our range, we are accelerating the transition toward smarter, safer mobility," said Wang.

Traditionally, advanced features such as lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking have been reserved for premium vehicles.

Models with such functions were usually priced from 150,000 yuan, according to consulting firm McKinsey.