Changan Auto’s Zhao Fei: Intelligent Transformation Enters Deep Waters, Industry Rivalry Shifts to Ecosystem Endurance

From June 12 to 13, 2026, the China Automotive Chongqing Forum was held under the theme “Shaping the Future of the Industry in an Era of Transformation.” Zhao Fei, General Manager of China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd., stated at the forum that China’s automotive industry is currently undergoing three fundamental shifts: intelligent technology is entering a deep implementation phase with AI comprehensively empowering the sector; Chinese brands are accelerating their global expansion, making overseas markets a core growth driver; and industry competition is shifting from rapid product iteration to a long-term endurance contest centered on ecosystem depth. Data shows that the domestic penetration rate of new energy vehicles (NEVs) has exceeded 60%, with battery electric vehicles accounting for 43% of all powertrain types. Intelligent driving assistance features continue to gain traction, with highway navigation pilot and higher-level functions now installed in 36% of new vehicles. From January to May 2026, China’s auto exports surged by 69.6% year-on-year, including a remarkable 114.7% increase in NEV exports. Zhao Fei noted that user expectations for intelligent features have evolved from “usable” to “user-friendly,” with growing emphasis on smooth urban navigation, system stability in adverse weather conditions, and performance in complex parking scenarios. Competition in intelligence is thus transitioning from hardware specifications to user experience as the decisive factor. Meanwhile, Chinese automotive brands have entered over 200 countries and regions worldwide, offering more than 760 models overseas, targeting an annual market capacity exceeding 60 million units. However, the export model is evolving beyond simple product sales toward full-chain output encompassing manufacturing, intellectual property, and systemic capabilities. Moreover, the industry has entered a “convergence phase,” where competition is shifting from technical parameters and configurations to the holistic experience and emotional value delivered by products and services. Cross-sector integration has become essential for automakers’ development. To address these trends, Changan Automobile unveiled its “Changan Tianshu Navigation” system, which integrates a VLA large model and covers scenarios including highways, urban roads, ramps, and parking lots. The system has already completed over 10 million automated parking maneuvers, accumulated over 10 million safe route operations, and logged more than 5 million kilometers of urban navigation testing across 185 distinct scenarios. In September 2026, the entire Qiyuan series from Changan will launch equipped with this system. On safety, Changan emphasized a “New Safety” concept encompassing multi-dimensional proactive intelligent protection—spanning physical safety, driving safety, health, psychological well-being, and privacy. The company plans to introduce a driver-incapacitation active protection feature within the year, capable of automatically pulling over or guiding the vehicle to a rest area if the driver becomes incapacitated. Zhao Fei also cautioned that current intelligent driving assistance systems still require real-time driver supervision and immediate takeover capability, urging the industry to avoid exaggerated claims and never equate assisted driving with autonomous driving. Changan has already mass-produced its Blue Whale Super Hybrid system and is rolling out 140 integrated “Changan Tianshu Intelligence” features, 66 of which are already in volume production. Zhao Fei proposed four industry-wide initiatives: 1. Strengthen the safety baseline, eliminate misleading marketing, and foster rational safety awareness; 2. Uphold long-termism and systemic resilience, refocus on user value, and avoid cutthroat competition; 3. Embrace technological innovation, co-build top-tier technical platforms, and shift intelligent experiences from feature leadership to demand-driven leadership; 4. Deepen collaborative global expansion by jointly developing mid- and back-end capabilities—including production capacity and after-sales services—and promote shared global standards and intellectual property to support the globalization of Chinese automotive brands. Changan Automobile stated it will deeply integrate into Chongqing’s “33618” modern manufacturing cluster system to advance the development of intelligent connected new energy vehicles.