The article examines how traditional automakers are responding to the approach of L3 intelligent driving, after years in which new-energy startups and luxury electric-vehicle brands attracted most of the attention. It says brands including Hongqi and Volkswagen are adding advanced driver-assistance systems to both new-energy and, in some cases, fuel-powered vehicles. Hongqi's Tiangong 05, Tiangong 06 and HS6 PHEV are described as using Zhuoyu's Gaowuxing end-to-end algorithm, while the fuel-powered Hongqi H7 uses a jointly developed Sinan driving system with an inertial-navigation, triple-camera vision setup and the Gaowuxing end-to-end 4.1 model. Volkswagen models including the Passat Pro, Tiguan L Pro, Tanyue L PHEV and Magotan PHEV are described as supporting high-speed and expressway NOA, with some also offering intelligent parking; Chery, Wuling, Dongfeng and Great Wall are also cited as adopting Zhuoyu systems in mainstream or entry-level vehicles. The article argues that traditional automakers often lack the accumulated expertise to build complete high-level driving systems themselves, making partnerships with suppliers a faster way to close capability gaps and equip higher-volume models. Zhuoyu presents its broader goal as “intelligent mobility for everything,” treating autonomous movement as a reusable physical-AI capability rather than a function limited to passenger cars. Its proposed foundation has two parts: a native multimodal foundation model and unified automotive-grade domain controllers and sensing hardware. The model is described as accepting video, text, action, voice and map inputs through a unified representation intended to reduce latency and information loss, while the hardware is positioned as the stable infrastructure for deploying the algorithm across vehicles. Zhuoyu says the same model already operates in passenger cars and commercial heavy trucks, after core passenger-car NOA capabilities were transferred to trucks. Its businesses also cover buses, urban delivery and L4 Robotaxi projects. Projects with Yutong Bus and other operators and automakers are expected by the company to enter production or trial operations in the second half of 2026, according to the article. The piece concludes that supplier-backed systems could help mainstream electric and fuel vehicles move beyond ACC and lane keeping toward high-speed and urban NOA, although the article's broader claims about future physical-AI adoption remain forward-looking.
