2025 Shanghai Auto Show - Day 1

At the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, vehicle intelligence took center stage. Automakers and suppliers showcased advances in steer-by-wire technology, L2+ ADAS, and AI-powered smart cockpits, reflecting the ongoing transformation toward software-defined vehicles.

Steer-by-Wire Technology Moves Towards Market Adoption

Steer-by-wire chassis emerged as a major innovation, replacing mechanical linkages with digital control for steering, braking, and driving. The first application to reach production is steer-by-wire, which improves handling and supports autonomous driving features.

Key Highlights:

NIO: China's first approved steer-by-wire system, with full redundancy and minimal steering input required for maneuvers like parking.

IM Motors: Debuted steer-by-wire + brake-by-wire system with dual ECU redundancy; to launch in a new flagship model in Q4 2025.

Changan: Introduced a new integrated chassis with EMB, SBW, and active suspension technologies.

Denza: Offers millisecond response and millimeter-level steering precision, with dynamic steering ratio adjustment.

ADAS Beyond L2

Despite tighter regulations, automakers are advancing toward L3 and L4 ADAS. Key trends include multi-lidar setups, AI-powered decision-making models, and robust safety redundancy systems.

Leading Technologies:

Huawei ADS 4.0: Modular perception stack supporting L3 highway driving; to roll out in 2025.

Xpeng: Building a multimodal "World Foundation Model" with evolving human-like driving logic.

GAC AION Robotaxi (L4): Equipped with 33 sensors and 2000 TOPS compute; demo operation starts in 2026.

Zeekr 9X: L3 system with 5 lidars and dual NVIDIA Thor chips delivering 1400 TOPS.

AI-Powered Smart Cockpits Evolve

AI models are transforming in-car systems from simple voice assistants into emotional, proactive in-cabin companions. Smart cockpits are becoming more user-centric, intelligent, and personalized.

Featured Innovations:

Intel SDV Chip 2.0: Up to 10x AI performance boost, supports 12 camera channels, enhances HMI capabilities.

BMW + DeepSeek/Alibaba: Co-developing AI assistants for feature explanations, and travel planning etc.

Banma Yan.AI: Fuses traditional pipelines with end-to-end architecture, enabling natural digital human interaction.

Elektrobit: Combines Unreal Engine with Android Automotive; 1-second theme switching and support for various large language models.

To stay up-to-date on everything happening at Auto Shanghai 2025 be sure to visit our event hub page where you can find all daily wrap-ups as they are released and much more!