A large-scale review of 36 popular car models in China reveals Tesla’s ADAS technology significantly outperforms leading domestic brands like BYD and Xpeng, exposing critical safety gaps and prompting calls for improved sensor and software development among local manufacturers.
A recent, large-scale review of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) — yeah, the tech that helps cars drive themselves or assist drivers — has been carried out by Chinese automotive media company Dongchedi. The findings? Well, they highlight some pretty clear gaps in how various popular car models do during real-world testing. They looked at 36 different models that are big sellers in China right now, testing them across 15 risky traffic situations you'd encounter both on highways and in busy city streets. In total, they simulated 216 crashes or hazardous situations, trying to see how well these cars' ADAS systems respond under pressure. The brands involved included well-known Chinese companies like BYD, Xpeng, Zeekr, and Xiaomi, as well as international giants such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Honda.
And honestly, the results weren’t very flattering for many of China’s top automakers. They cast some doubt on just how mature and reliable their ADAS tech really is today. So, during highway scenarios, four BYD models—the Tang L DM, Seagull, Han, and Song Pro DM—shot poor scores across the board. In fact, the Han and Song Pro DM failed every single test they faced on the highway. Xpeng’s P7+ also didn’t do any better, failing all its highway assessments too. Zeekr didn’t fare well either—models like the 001 and 7X just couldn't get past any of the tests. In city driving situations, which included tricky tasks such as navigating roundabouts, reacting promptly to pedestrians, and dealing with electric bicycles, many of these domestic vehicles only managed to pass one or two out of nine tests. Zeekr models remained at the bottom of the list, and Xiaomi’s newer vehicles only delivered average or below-average responses.
Now, on the flip side, Tesla’s vehicles really stood out—possibly by a wide margin—highlighting substantial gaps in the capability of many Chinese automakers’ ADAS systems. The Tesla Model 3 and Model X topped the highway tests, showing they could handle nearly all kinds of dangerous scenarios confidently. Seriously, the Model X was actually the only vehicle that avoided crashing into a dummy representing a wild boar—a notoriously tough challenge—that flummoxed every other car tested. Moving onto city driving, Tesla kept up its strong showing, with the Model X passing eight out of nine tests and the Model 3 managing five. This wasn’t just some fluke either; it aligns with reports from CCTV and other state media, which pointed out that Tesla’s China-specific Full Self-Driving (FSD) system was leading the pack — and interestingly, despite lacking lidar sensors and being trained without local data (legal restrictions make that tricky), it continued to perform impressively.
Industry insiders largely put Tesla’s success down to high-end sensors, smart control algorithms, and some seriously powerful onboard processors, which help it make quick, accurate decisions in real time. Elon Musk, Tesla’s boss, has even emphasized that Tesla's strong results—claiming they don’t rely on Chinese training data—show just how robust their entire tech setup really is. Meanwhile, the disappointing test results for many Chinese brands have sparked some skepticism and critique, especially regarding whether their ADAS systems are mature enough to handle unexpected or high-risk driving situations that demand swift and precise responses.
It’s also caused regulators in China to sharpen their focus on ADAS tools and how automakers market them. They want clearer guidelines about legal responsibilities—particularly after some concerning incidents, like the deadly crash involving a Xiaomi SU7, which made waves across the country. While companies like Tesla insist that their main goal remains safety—not just winning some ranking—they admit that continuous improvement is crucial. After all, these tests underscore the urgent need for local manufacturers to step up their game—invest more in sensor fusion, tighten up software, and expand scenario testing—to narrow the gap and meet the rising safety standards consumers expect.
Looking deeper, some insights show that even within Chinese brands, there’s quite a bit of variance when it comes to how responsive and reliable these systems are in complex driving situations. For example, Tesla’s lane-changing and adaptive responses generally operate smoothly. In contrast, Xpeng’s P7+ sometimes shifted lanes faster in city driving, but struggled under tougher conditions. That kind of inconsistency underscores how quickly ADAS tech is evolving and how hard it’s becoming for domestic Chinese automakers to catch up with global industry leaders like Tesla.
So, to sum up, this big, carefully conducted assessment—backed by multiple independent sources—really cements Tesla’s position at the top of ADAS development in China’s hotly competitive EV scene. And, it’s pretty much a wake-up call for local brands, urging them to ramp up investments not only in sensors but also in smarter software testing and real-world trials. The goal? Closing that performance gap, boosting customer confidence, and making roads safer for everyone.
References:
- [1] [Thanh Nien Article]
- [2] [Reuters]
- [3] [TechNode]
- [4] [CarNewsChina]
- [5] [China EV Home]
- [6] [NextBigFuture]
- [7] [Electrek]
Source: Noah Wire Services
