China's Auto Chassis Tech Still Lags But Closing In Fast

In May 2026, Li Xiang, founder of Li Auto, pointed out that chassis technology might be the final bottleneck preventing Chinese automakers from achieving global leadership—a remark that drew significant industry attention. Currently, China’s new energy vehicles (NEVs) are already leading globally in areas such as intelligent cockpits and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), yet they still lag behind top-tier international luxury brands in chassis engineering. Technologically, most domestic independent brands focus on semi-active suspension systems, while fully active suspensions have yet to achieve large-scale adoption. The domain of drive-by-wire chassis also faces challenges: although the implementation of China’s new national standards in 2026 removed regulatory barriers for mass production of electromechanical braking (EMB) and steer-by-wire systems, EMB still requires time to fully replace conventional braking systems. Meanwhile, steer-by-wire solutions must still prove their safety redundancy designs and manufacturing consistency at scale. At the same time, Chinese automakers are accelerating their intelligent chassis strategies. Huawei has launched its Tuling Longxing platform, and BYD’s Yangwang U7 has achieved notable technological breakthroughs in this area. On the supply chain front, domestic air suspension suppliers now command over 92% of the market share, effectively completing localization substitution. Among OEMs, BYD continues expanding its Yun辇 (Cloud Ride) product portfolio, Huawei is advancing the deployment of its digital chassis ecosystem, and Li Auto’s L9 Livis already features a “full-featured” drive-by-wire chassis. Overall, China’s automotive chassis technology ecosystem is transitioning from being “strangled by core dependencies” to achieving “self-reliance and control,” making progress in market share, technological reserves, and supply chain influence. Although chassis engineering remains a critical hurdle for Chinese brands’ global expansion, the pace and intensity of their catch-up efforts have markedly increased. The key going forward lies in building a comprehensive, full-industry-chain chassis technology system capable of continuous iteration.