In the high-end business competition, there’s no need for subtlety; they go straight to the point. On the evening of November 4th, He Xiaopeng, the CEO of Xiaopeng Motors, posted on his social media: “I recently commented on the chaos in the industry, but instead of the industry being anxious, those outside of it are. I don’t know what they’re so anxious about.”
Earlier, Yu Chengdong, the Executive Director and CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, Chairman of the Intelligent Car Solutions Business Unit, expressed, “Some car companies don’t even know what AEB is, let alone industry technical advancements and future developments; they lack basic understanding!”
It is widely believed that He Xiaopeng’s remark about “meddling in affairs that don’t concern them” directly targets Yu Chengdong. This seemingly heated exchange revolves around AEB technology (Automatic Emergency Braking), but the underlying tension is the competition among car companies in the field of intelligent driving.
The Online Spat
Nio responds to layoffs, Xiaopeng supports rights for car owners with subsidies, and recently, new entrants in the automotive industry are making waves. Amid this, Yu Chengdong entered the scene.
On the evening of November 3rd, Yu Chengdong, in response to AEB technology, stated on social media: “Some car companies are busy with intelligent driving all day long, and the results of AEB active safety tests are very poor. When I asked, I found out that they haven’t even implemented the basic functions of AEB. This really surprised me! Either their subordinates are misleading them, or they lack the most basic understanding of the automobile industry!” He also shared an article titled “OTA Major Upgrade: Smart Driving Nationwide Without High-Precision Maps,” which mentioned the enhancements in AEB and active safety capabilities following Huawei’s ADS 2.0 high-level intelligent driving upgrade.
When people thought that “Yu Chengdong’s big mouth” was once again creating buzz in the automotive world, the focus shifted to the “some car companies” he mentioned. Subsequently, an interview with He Xiaopeng from some days ago began circulating online. In the interview, when asked about the willingness of most users of competing brands to pay for AEB active safety systems, He Xiaopeng stated: “First, most people may have never encountered AEB. Second, when competitors talk about AEB, I think 99% of it is fake; it’s just deception, and those promotions are not official company releases, but all from short videos. Our team also inquired, and their AEB simply doesn’t work; there are too many instances of accidental braking on the road.” According to He Xiaopeng, in the current automotive industry, AEB mainly refers to longitudinal AEB, and in most cases, the speed at which it triggers is below 60 kilometers per hour. If the speed is too high, an accidental brake could be a huge scare for the user.
On the other hand, Huawei had previously stated during the launch of the ADS 2.0 system that AEB’s maximum stopping speed had been increased to 90 kilometers per hour.
On the evening of November 4th, He Xiaopeng posted on his social media again, saying, “I recently commented on the chaos in the industry, but instead of the industry being anxious, those outside of it are. I don’t know what they’re so anxious about!”
Some netizens commented, “He Xiaopeng and Yu Chengdong are about to break the ‘glass ceiling’ between them.”
Furthermore, onlookers aren’t just watching; they’re chiming in with their expertise. Zhao Changjiang, General Manager of Tengshi’s Sales Division, stated on Weibo, “Currently, Tengshi N7 can activate AEB at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour, and in the future, the advanced intelligent driving version can achieve 80 kilometers per hour or higher.”
Zhang Yong, CEO of Nezha Auto, expressed his opinion on AEB on Weibo, saying, “We have already delivered AEB on our ADC, J3, and ME platforms, and the startup speed can reach 100 kilometers per hour, with stable stopping at 50+. In field tests, it’s around 80 kilometers per hour, with a score of around 98%.”
What is AEB
So, what is this AEB that has sparked a heated exchange between the two automotive companies?
AEB stands for Autonomous Emergency Braking, a system designed for active vehicle safety. It uses radar to detect the distance between the vehicle and the obstacles or vehicles in front of it. After analyzing this data through an electronic control unit, the system determines the potential collision risk based on various factors like distance and speed. It then alerts the driver and, if necessary, automatically applies the brakes or reduces vehicle speed to minimize the probability of a collision with other vehicles or pedestrians, thus preventing accidents.
This technology has been applied to traditional combustion engine vehicles in the past. Over 60 years ago, Cadillac vehicles used millimeter-wave radar for collision avoidance. In recent years, AEB has become an important active safety feature. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shows that most new cars launched this year come with AEB as a standard feature. AEB adoption in passenger cars priced above 160,000 RMB has reached 67%. In the field of new energy vehicles, the installation rate of AEB is continuously increasing.
The rise in AEB adoption is also linked to the advent of the automotive intelligence era. The CAAM reports that the Chinese auto industry is seizing the opportunity of electrification, intelligence, and connectivity transformation, focusing on technological innovation, product innovation, and business model innovation. Breakthroughs have been made in next-generation electronic and electrical architectures, in-vehicle operating systems, and other innovative technologies. L2-level passenger cars have been successfully commercialized.
Data shows that in 2021, L2-level passenger cars had a market penetration rate of 22.2%. In the first half of the previous year, over 2.88 million passenger cars with combined driving assistance functions were sold in China, with a penetration rate of 32.4%, a 46.2% increase year-on-year. A relevant person from CAAM commented that “the market for intelligent connected vehicles in China is continuously expanding, with technologies like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), AEB, Lane Keeping System (LKS), and Automated Parking Assistance (APA) widely applied.”
This indicates that AEB has become a basic feature in intelligent driving. However, some technical experts caution that AEB, while a mature technology that significantly reduces the likelihood of collisions, should not be judged accurately without rigorous testing. Currently, there may not be suitable assessment standards. China’s passive safety standards are relatively well-established, but AEB, as an active safety standard, still needs improvement. Many companies are prioritizing “reducing false trigger rates” to enhance safety.
Intense Battle for Intelligent Driving
On the surface, the exchange between Yu Chengdong and He Xiaopeng appears to be about AEB, but it’s actually a competition between Xiaopeng and Nio, two major brands, in terms of sales.
During the launch of the Nio New M7, Yu Chengdong stated that the vehicle is equipped with the HUAWEI ADS 2.0 advanced intelligent driving system. According to Huawei, the HUAWEI ADS 2.0 system is based on GOD (General Obstacle Detection) Network and RCR (Road Topology Inference) Network 2.0 technologies. It achieves a 99% recognition rate for obstacle types and can understand complex road conditions independently, truly achieving the ability to “understand objects and understand roads.”
Reportedly, the AEB of the Nio New M7 can stop at speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour, reducing 90% of traffic accidents caused by distraction and complex road conditions. With this new system, the Nio New M7’s popularity and order volume continue to rise. Data shows that, as of October 7th this year, out of the 55,000 pre-orders for this model, the optional ADS advanced package had a take-up rate of 70% for the five-seat Max version and 68% for the six-seat Max version.
In contrast, Xiaopeng Motors measures AEB from a different angle. He Xiaopeng mentioned, “Our XNGP technology (All-Scenario Intelligent Driver Assistance) will eventually incorporate AEB as one of its features. For example, we’ve been talking about something called Static AEB, where the vehicle actively avoids obstacles as soon as they appear, preventing collisions.”
For both Nio and Xiaopeng, enhancing intelligent driving technology to meet user demands is directly correlated with increased sales. Data shows that the importance of intelligent driving in the vehicle purchase decision-making process has risen to 10%. According to a research report by Credit Suisse, intelligent driving features are significantly influencing consumers’ car purchase decisions this year.
Cui Dongshu, the Secretary-General of the CAAM, commented that “top companies from around the world are actively engaged in autonomous driving research and development, and the development speed will be rapid.” Automotive companies are accelerating their efforts to expand their presence in the autonomous driving market.
Xiaopeng Motors recently revealed its latest plans for the widespread adoption of XNGP. A Xiaopeng Motors representative mentioned that navigation assistance for autonomous driving without high-precision maps will be initially available in 20 cities during the first phase, increasing to 50 cities within the year. Yu Chengdong also stated that the Nio New M7 will cover the entire country with its advanced intelligent driving features by the end of the year. From an external perspective, Xiaopeng and Nio are once again in competition, particularly in their efforts to implement autonomous driving without high-precision maps. It’s not just Xiaopeng and Nio; Ideal Auto is also speeding up its intelligent driving strategy. According to Ideal Auto’s plan, the inner testing version of Commuting NOA began pushing in the first 10 cities in September this year and will cover 100 cities nationwide by December. Some believe that Ideal Auto’s haste to enhance its intelligent driving strategy may be related to the high sales of the Nio New M7.
As the race for intelligent driving accelerates, the competition for talents related to intelligent driving continues to intensify among automotive companies. Yan Jinghui, a member of the Expert Committee of the China Association of Automobile Circulation, believes that intelligence is a critical battlefield for the transformation of automotive companies, and intelligent driving is a key aspect. Technology and layout acceleration require a substantial talent pool to support them.