Huawei Qiankun Unveils ADS 5 Roadmap, Targets L4 Urban Autonomous Driving by 2028

Yu Zhi Jin, CEO of Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution Business Unit (BU), recently addressed media concerns regarding the authenticity of "assisted driving mileage data" during a press event. Previously, users noted that the cumulative assisted driving mileage displayed on Huawei’s intelligent driving official website continued to increment even when disconnected from the internet, sparking speculation about inflated figures. Jin clarified that the number reflects actual operational mileage; the rolling animation shown on the webpage during offline periods is merely a frontend visual smoothing effect. The backend API retains brief redundancy but does not update in real time. On the same day, Huawei unveiled a three-phase OTA upgrade roadmap for its ADS 5 system: - **May 2024**: Launch of version 5.0, introducing features such as rear-end collision prevention assistance, AR-HUD rain/fog warnings, anytime-anywhere NCA (Navigate on City Streets), roaming assistance, parking-space-level charging navigation, and guardian parking. - **Q3 2024**: Focus on integrating active and passive safety systems, preventing unintended steering inputs, enabling vehicle recovery during head-on encounters or reversing maneuvers, and navigating around potholes. - **Q1 2025**: Rollout of Driver Incapacitation Assistance 2.0 and emergency evacuation capabilities. The overall evolution strategy prioritizes expanding scenario coverage first, then optimizing performance under extreme conditions, ultimately ensuring robust personal safety safeguards. Concurrently, HarmonyOS Cockpit will also receive upgrades, emphasizing enhanced “Proactive Suggestion 2.0” capabilities. Through partnerships with external services like KFC, Huawei aims to validate the commercial viability of in-car AI Agents, enabling the cockpit to proactively perceive user needs and invoke relevant services. In terms of liability protection, Huawei’s Qiankun brand has introduced the “Assisted Driving Peace-of-Mind Coverage,” offering three-year protection across all vehicle models. This initiative emphasizes accident prevention through system capabilities—not just post-accident repair compensation. Regarding autonomous driving technology pathways, Huawei maintains that L3 is an essential transitional stage between L2 and L4, capable of bridging the data gap between human-driven and machine-driven operations. Its roadmap targets large-scale commercial deployment of highway L3 by 2027 and urban L4 by 2028. Technologically, Huawei Qiankun ADS focuses on four core pillars: 1. **Multi-sensor fusion**, incorporating a 196-line LiDAR, distributed 4D millimeter-wave radar, laser-vision Limera, high-precision solid-state blind-spot radar, and an 896-line dual-optical-path imaging-grade LiDAR—offering SE, Pro, and Max configuration tiers. 2. **WEWA 2.0 World Behavior Model**, trained via Multi-Agent game theory to enhance system responsiveness in complex traffic environments. 3. **Integrated driving control**, linking the intelligent driving system directly with chassis controls to improve vehicle maneuvering precision. 4. **Qiankun OS and full-chain redundancy architecture**, implementing dual backups across eight critical subsystems. On ecosystem collaboration, Huawei has integrated platforms like Jietingche and Star Charge, enabling automatic in-car payments and plug-and-charge functionality to minimize user interaction steps. As of now, vehicles equipped with Huawei Qiankun ADS have reached nearly 2 million units. The company continues to publish monthly assisted driving metrics—including total mileage, urban usage ratio, and parking session counts—to demonstrate system capabilities transparently through real-world data. Jin stated, “Data doesn’t lie,” urging the industry to uphold data transparency collectively.