Gasgoo Munich- At the recent 2026 AUMOVIO China Ecosystem Co-Creation Conference, AUMOVIO globally unveiled its seventh-generation millimeter-wave radar, the RAD72C. This marks the first radar developed and defined locally by the company specifically for Chinese demand, with 100% of core externally sourced components localized—a significant milestone in deepening local R&D and supply chain collaboration.
Themed "Elevation, Collaboration, Breakthrough," the conference marks AUMOVIO's first major appearance in China since it spun off from Continental and listed independently in Frankfurt in September 2025. From launching radars and white papers to strategic signings and roundtable discussions, this global Tier 1 supplier—with over three decades of presence in China—is unveiling its new local roadmap. In AUMOVIO's global vision, China is being molded into a center for value creation.
Locally Defined, Locally Developed: China Team Takes the Reins on Radar
AUMOVIO revealed that the RAD72C is slated for initial mass production in the third quarter of 2027. Even while still under development, the product has already secured design wins from several Chinese automakers.
Chen Yuan, AUMOVIO China's Chief Technology Officer, noted that this marks the first time since the company began developing radars in 1999 that a local Chinese team has handled the full product definition, design, and development specifically for the Chinese market.
In his view, this is more than just a product iteration; it is a strategic inflection point. AUMOVIO is shifting from traditional approaches to a playbook better suited to China's unique rhythm.
Chen pointed out that the RAD72C is not starting from scratch. It builds on AUMOVIO's global legacy of more than 200 million radar shipments and over two decades of engineering experience. By leveraging global engineering capabilities and advanced algorithms, the product integrates Chinese market demands with "China speed" in its development.
Ahmed Irathni, Head of AUMOVIO's Autonomous Mobility business group in China, stated during his speech: "Global experience is the foundation, but the products and specifications are defined by China, with core development led by the Chinese team."
This transfer of leadership essentially reflects a shift in market gravity.
Experts from Deloitte presented striking figures at the conference: China's passenger vehicle market features over 120 brands—roughly eight times the 12 to 15 typically found in mature markets. Chinese brands caught up with foreign rivals in market share in 2023, climbed to about 64% in 2025, and have risen to around 67% in 2026, exceeding 70% in some individual months. While traditional automakers require four to five years to move from concept to mass production, Chinese automakers have compressed that cycle to around two years.
This is a market with a volume of roughly 20 million vehicles. Chen noted in his speech that next-generation products must match China's development and production cadence. The RAD72C is AUMOVIO's accelerated response to meet those demands.
He outlined three pillars: more agile development iteration, more resilient supply chain collaboration, and more robust mass production delivery.
Beyond speed, cost presents another challenge. For the RAD72C, cost reduction does not mean cutting corners; it involves a full-process recalculation spanning requirements analysis, algorithm and chip selection, mechanical structure, wiring design, and production yield. The Chinese team adopted a single-layer waveguide antenna to simplify the antenna and PCB solution, reducing both material and manufacturing costs. Coupled with system-level design upgrades that streamline processes and improve yields, the component count has dropped by approximately 20%. This has simultaneously boosted integration and reliability, delivering better performance than the previous benchmark model, the 620, at a lower price.
Even the most critical chips feature a Chinese solution. The RAD72C was co-developed based on Calterah's next-generation flagship chip, the Kunlun Pro. During the conference, AUMOVIO signed a strategic partnership agreement with Calterah to explore long-term collaboration on next-generation automotive chip platforms, extending beyond the seventh-generation radar.
Image Source: AUMOVIO (same below)
Chinese market standards are also driving product evolution. The mandatory national standard GB47955—2026, "Safety Requirements for Intelligent Connected Vehicle Combined Driving Assistance Systems," was released in June 2026 and takes effect on January 1, 2027. It imposes stricter requirements for scenarios such as stationary vehicles in tunnels and traffic cones.
Real-world test data from Calterah shows that the front radar solution based on the Kunlun Pro can detect and stably track at least five stationary targets at a distance of about 100 meters in a Chongqing tunnel scenario. Most common solutions struggle to exceed 50 meters. For traffic cones alongside the vehicle, detection distance reaches 104 meters, compared to roughly 40 meters for comparable solutions.
Ahmed Irathni also emphasized that the RAD72C is not reserved solely for luxury vehicles; it is designed to cover brands across all segments. He repeatedly returned to the theme of safety in his speech: "Safety is not a nice-to-have add-on; it is the core of all development."
Twenty-seven years on, the first radar developed and defined locally for Chinese demand has seen its development leadership taken by the Chinese team. This arrangement was dictated by China's road conditions and customer cadence—those who know them best should be on the front lines of development.
30 Years in China: AUMOVIO's Three Leaps Forward
Viewed against the backdrop of AUMOVIO's 30-year history in China, the RAD72C—a locally defined and developed radar—is a natural progression.
Tang En, President and CEO of AUMOVIO China, divides this journey into three phases.
From 1995 to 2000, AUMOVIO focused primarily on localized manufacturing, supplying joint venture brands. Between 2000 and 2020, it engaged in localized adaptation and development based on global technology platforms, gradually expanding its customer base to domestic brands. Since 2020, the company has strengthened its local full-value-chain capabilities. As Tang En put it, the strategy is now "Based in China, for China, and serving the world."
The first two phases solved the challenges of manufacturing in China and developing for China. After 2020, a new question emerged: Can innovation grown locally in China reciprocally serve the global market?
In September 2025, AUMOVIO spun off from Continental's automotive subgroup and listed independently in Frankfurt. Today, it operates over 80 bases worldwide with approximately 82,000 employees. Since becoming independent, the company has found that both the space and speed for maneuvering have changed significantly.
Tang outlined three pillars for AUMOVIO's China strategy: "Lean operations to stabilize the foundation, bold innovation to drive development, and global services to expand new horizons." He also set a clear goal: "Make China a global center for value creation."
This philosophy is concretely reflected in the two white papers released during the conference.
The "48V Low-Voltage Power Distribution System White Paper" targets the foundational layer of next-generation E/E architectures. The "AI-Defined Vehicle White Paper" discusses the evolution of vehicles from Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) to AI-Defined Vehicles (AIDV), proposing a shift from "updatable" to "evolvable." Both white papers are open to ecosystem partners.
Chen explained in his speech that the 12V platform has dominated for nearly a century but now struggles to support new demands arising from vehicle loads, electric propulsion, and thermal management. The 48V system is not a standalone technology; it involves almost every node, from central computing and zone controllers to edge nodes, chassis, and electric drive management. Upgrading requires collaboration among OEMs, component suppliers, and chip manufacturers.
Chen specifically addressed the company's open approach: "The white papers are not intended to set global standards or simply slap an AUMOVIO label on them. Rather, they advocate for a common language to reduce duplicate investment and waste."
Regarding 48V technology, he is particularly focused on China's position: "We are driving this technological upgrade from China. China has the potential to become a first mover and leader in this field."
AUMOVIO neither shies away from technological leadership nor seeks to monopolize the market. For the company, China's value lies not merely in low costs and a massive market. The region offers the densest application scenarios, the most stringent regulations, and the fastest iteration cadence—meaning the answers for next-generation architectures will likely emerge here first.
This logic extends to the supply chain as well. Chen spoke of a two-way flow: "We can bring the international supply chain into China, but we also want to take more of the local supply chain from China to the global stage."
For decades, foreign Tier 1 suppliers in China have largely acted as implementers of global products. What AUMOVIO wants to do now is integrate Chinese technology, Chinese supply chains, and Chinese speed into the global system.
AUMOVIO is not alone in this position. With Chinese brands holding over 60% of the local market share and development cycles compressed to around two years, every foreign parts company in China must answer a fundamental question: Is its presence here merely a sales branch, or is it a value center capable of exporting capabilities to the world?
Ecosystem Globalization: Taking China's Supply Chain Global
Product iteration addresses the "elevation" aspect. "Collaboration and Breakthrough," however, point to another question: How can local Chinese innovation expand globally alongside the internationalization of Chinese automakers?
AUMOVIO has chosen not just to be a supplier to automakers, but also an organizer of the ecosystem.
In his opening address, Tang stated that the key to industrial development is "shifting from individual breakthroughs to building systemic capabilities and driving collaborative ecosystem innovation."
One of AUMOVIO's key assets is its global network, spanning over 80 bases and approximately 82,000 employees. This network allows the company to provide one-stop support for clients expanding overseas—including localized technical services, certification compliance, and production and supply chain support—helping OEMs navigate challenges related to regulations, certification, delivery, and localized operations.
This offers tangible support for Chinese automakers currently expanding abroad.
During the roundtable discussion on "The Path of Collaborative Breakthrough in the Chinese Automotive Market," Zhang Xiaomin, AUMOVIO Group China's Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, reviewed the company's history of collaboration with Chinese automakers. Citing those present, she noted that AUMOVIO's partnership with Chery spans nearly 30 years, while its collaboration with Great Wall exceeds 20 years. As early as 2001, AUMOVIO's ABS and instrument clusters were already accompanying Chery vehicles overseas.
During the Paris Motor Show this year, Chery hosted a roundtable forum on sustainable development ecosystem partners. Of the dozen or so invited suppliers, only two secured design awards on the spot. AUMOVIO's airbag controller will be shipped from its Romanian plant to equip Chery's full European lineup.
Zhang expressed hope that products developed by the Chinese team "can receive global validation and accelerate deployment worldwide." The next-generation distributed brake-by-wire product co-developed with Leapmotor will first be used in Leapmotor's domestic models before entering global models. The instrument clusters for Great Wall, as well as Chery's domain controllers and airbag controllers, were also led by the Chinese team. Similarly, the Calterah chips used in this seventh-generation radar are being deployed in China first, with global applications to follow.
She also revealed that on January 1 of this year, AUMOVIO designated "empowering Chinese automakers to go global" as a strategic global project. Initiated by the China region, it is personally led by the Global CEO, with monthly meetings held to allocate resources.
The supporting transformation follows three paths: shifting from single-point to multi-point innovation, with thousands of Chinese engineers participating in global product definition and standard design; moving from one-time hardware delivery to full lifecycle management, covering software upgrades, cybersecurity, and data compliance; and integrating regional resources into a global service network. She summarized this strategy in three words: Globalization, Collaboration, and Empowerment.
AUMOVIO is also taking its local supply chain global. It began cooperating with the Tianbo Group in 2013 and established a joint venture in Hungary last year. AUMOVIO contributed local factories and a European management team to help Tianbo's thermal management products enter the European market and supply customers locally.
The feedback from automakers has been direct. Zhang Xuewu, Head of Overseas Procurement at Chery Automobile, stated that AUMOVIO is Chery's top choice. "Especially in highly regulated markets, their understanding of regulations, local verification capabilities, engineering development capabilities, and service capacity align well with Chery's overseas expansion."
As the B10 prepares to roll off the line at Leapmotor's factory in Zaragoza, Spain, the discussions between the two parties extend beyond simple product supply to encompass a comprehensive package that includes after-sales services.
The consensus formed during this roundtable was clear: China's automotive industry is shifting from volume-based exports to high-quality ecosystem expansion. Competition has expanded beyond products and pricing to include brand building, compliance certification, engineering delivery, supply chain localization, and service systems.
Experts from Deloitte observed that compliance is becoming a non-negotiable red line for international expansion, with an increasing number of clients asking the same question: "Can I take my existing suppliers with me?" As the Chinese market enters a stock phase where growth lies overseas, whether to expand abroad with existing suppliers is becoming a practical choice for automakers.
The era of single vehicles conquering the world is over. Automakers now require a complete, verified supply system that can be seamlessly transferred overseas.
Ultimately, whether this system can be successfully implemented comes down to trust. In his speech, Ahmed Irathni noted that trust cannot be gained through a single contract; it must be earned through the execution of cross-border projects.
Success depends on two things: whether Chinese automakers trust it, and whether overseas markets accept it. But the direction is no longer in doubt. Global suppliers remaining in China can no longer be mere product sellers; they must first become an integral part of the Chinese ecosystem.
