FAW Executive Zhou Shiying Urges Auto Industry to Break Silos and Advance Intelligent Collaboration

At the High-Level Forum on Intelligent and Electric Vehicle Development held in April 2026, Zhou Shiying, Deputy General Manager of the Strategy and Cooperation Department at China FAW Group and Director of the Office for Intelligent Industry Development, systematically analyzed five core challenges currently facing automotive intelligence and called on the industry to move beyond fragmented, siloed efforts and build a collaborative ecosystem. She noted that the foundational architecture of automotive intelligence rests on five pillars: algorithms, computing power, data, operating system ecosystems, and chips. At present, automakers face significant shortcomings in algorithm safety, computing resource scheduling efficiency, effective data utilization, OS standardization, and supply of cloud-based AI chips. Although many automakers have heavily invested in developing autonomous driving and intelligent cockpit systems, their technologies, models, and systems remain fragmented, making it difficult to achieve human-like logical coordination. Zhou emphasized that no single automaker can independently accomplish end-to-end intelligent transformation. The industry must establish standardized interfaces and promote specialized division of labor: computing companies should provide computing services, advanced semiconductor firms focus on core components, OS developers create unified operating systems, and automakers concentrate on brand building, safety, and integration of chassis systems with intelligent technologies. She pointed out that Chinese automakers are widely caught in a “revenue growth without profit growth” dilemma. In 2025, only BYD, Li Auto, and Seres achieved annual profitability, while most new-energy startups continued to incur substantial losses—averaging RMB 20,000 to 30,000 per vehicle. Meanwhile, some automakers have shifted cost pressures onto parts suppliers. Although 17 major automakers pledged in June 2025 to shorten payment terms to within 60 days, small and medium-sized suppliers still face severe accounts receivable pressure. Zhou also noted that foreign automakers such as Volkswagen and BMW are deepening their “In China, For China” strategies, actively aligning with China’s development plans—a clear demonstration of their understanding of the Chinese market logic. She posed a rhetorical question: if domestic automakers fail to integrate China’s leading intelligent technology resources, how can they truly succeed on the global stage?