Stricter controls imposed on marketing of smart driving cars(5)

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Horizon Robotics has forged partnerships with more than 40 automotive brands, including China's top 10 carmakers, and has over 5 million vehicles on the road using its smart solutions.

At the April 18 product launch in Shanghai, Horizon Robotics unveiled new deals with several carmakers including Chery.

A month earlier, Chery announced its plan to make "smart driving "available in various models, with the cheapest one priced around $10,000.

Other major automakers Geely and BYD have unveiled similar strategies.

"We believe that smart driving should not be a luxury, but a standard feature for all consumers," said Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD, at an event in February.

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

BYD, with more than 4 million units sold in 2024 is the country's bestselling carmaker, and its latest move is expected to accelerate the adoption of high-level driving-assist functions in the mass market.

Many industry experts are already calling 2025 the first year of mass adoption of driving-assist functions, which have become a key factor for automakers to stay competitive in the market.

Zhang Yongwei, secretary-general of the China EV 100 think tank, said in an interview in January that at least 65 percent of passenger vehicles will feature Level 2 functions this year.

"The integration of intelligent technologies will move beyond premium vehicles to become accessible in mainstream models priced between 100,000 yuan ($13,700) and 200,000 yuan ($27,400)," Zhang said.

A survey conducted by news portal Guancha.cn shows that consumer interest in the technology remains strong, with 83 percent of respondents saying such features would influence their decisions to buy a car.

A McKinsey poll shows that 76 percent of respondents tried "smart driving" in 2024, up from 65 percent in 2023.