Gasgoo Munich- At the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference, Zhao Fei, general manager of China Changan Automobile Group, delivered a keynote address. It marked the group's first appearance at the event since its restructuring as a central state-owned enterprise last July. China Changan now houses three new-energy brands—Avatr, Deepal, and Changan Qiyuan—and targets global sales of 2.91 million units in 2025.
Image credit: 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference
Zhao laid out two broad industry forecasts at the event. First, in edge-side physical AI, vehicles will deploy fastest, scale quickest, and offer the largest application base. Second, the auto industry is rapidly expanding into a sea, land, and air mobility ecosystem, unlocking new growth. Given the current uptake of intelligent driving, he expects Level 3 autonomy to reach mass production by 2027, with Level 4 starting commercial operations in 2028.
Guided by the mantra "No AI, no Changan," China Changan is deploying a "one body, three domains" AI strategy. Built on a computing platform, it embeds AI across products, manufacturing, and operations. On the product side, its self-developed one-segment end-to-end system—Changan Tianshu Pilot—has entered mass production, using the SDA Tianshu architecture to unify cabin, chassis, controls, and cloud. The automaker also holds China's first official Level 3 license plate and a Level 4 robotaxi testing permit in Chongqing.
In manufacturing, the group is building a digital production matrix, with plans to complete digital upgrades across all global plants by 2028. On the operations front, it is deploying AI agents and rolling out "silicon-based employees" to boost customer service.
Zhao stressed that safety remains a non-negotiable baseline for intelligent connected vehicles. China Changan has established the National Key Laboratory for Intelligent Vehicle Safety and helped draft more than 360 international, national, and industry standards. The automaker led the national standard for autonomous driving classification and spearheaded the industry's first quantum-resistant technology standard.
He urged the industry to hold the line on safety, reject false advertising and pseudo-innovation, and open technology platforms for collaborative breakthroughs. Outside the main venue, China Changan set up a Tianshu Pilot test-ride zone to showcase its) homegrown intelligent driving capabilities.
