Chinese Smart Driving Tech Expands Global Footprint: From ADAS to Robotaxis

Recently, iMotion (知行科技, 01274.HK) announced a major production award from a South Korean automotive group to supply its integrated parking and driving assist solution for four models, with an expected volume of one million units during 2026-2033, half of which will taraget overseas market. The assisted-driving solution selected for this program will be built on Horizon Robotics’ Journey® compute family and must comply with Australasian regulations as well as NCAP certification requirements.

It's not a sole case that Chinese intelligent driving companies are expanding their global presence, with solutions now powering passenger cars and robotaxis worldwide. Chinese companies such as Horizon Robotics, QCraft, and Zhuoyu Technology, are shifting their focus from Chinese local market to international competition.

Powering Global Passenger Cars

Horizon Robotics (地平线, 09660.HK): Its Journey 6 chip has been selected by global Tier-1 supplier Bosch for a new generation of ADAS solutions, marking a core entry of Chinese silicon into the European automotive supply chain.

QCraft (轻舟智航): After validating its technology in China, QCraft is targeting the European, U.S., Japanese, and Korean markets with plans for overseas mass production starting in 2026.

Zhuoyu Technology (卓驭科技): Its driving assistance system has passed the stringent certification of the Volkswagen Group and is deployed on FAW-Volkswagen models, demonstrating compliance with international standards.

Pioneering Autonomous Mobility

Companies specializing in high-level autonomous driving are deploying commercial robotaxi services in key global markets.

WeRide (文远知行, 0800.HK): Obtained Belgium's first federal-level L4 testing license in just one week, enabling public road testing of its autonomous minibuses.

Pony.ai (小马智行, 2026.HK): Executes a diversified global strategy with robotaxi services in Singapore, a joint venture in Korea, an R&D center in Luxembourg, and investment from Saudi Arabia's NEOM project.

Baidu Apollo (百度, 09888.HK): Plans one of the largest overseas deployments with a fleet of over a thousand fully driverless vehicles for ride-hailing in the United Arab Emirates.

Momenta: Partnered with Uber to launch joint Robotaxi services in cities like Munich, Germany, from 2026, combining its autonomous tech with Uber's global network.

The Road Ahead

This accelerated global expansion is fueled by mature, large-scale validated solutions from China and growing international demand. The strategy has evolved from exporting products to forming deep technological partnerships and integrating into global mobility ecosystems, positioning China as a leading exporter of automotive intelligence.

*(Exchange rate: RMB 7.0 = USD 1)*