China EV News: XCU Hits 500K, L3 Approval, Power Deals

In a whirlwind week for China's electric vehicle (EV) sector, key developments underscore the nation's push toward smarter, more efficient mobility. Jingwei Hengrun's XCU integrated control unit reached 500,000 units in production, powering Geely's top-selling Xingyuan model. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) greenlit two L3-level autonomous driving vehicles from Changan and BAIC BluePark, and Dongan Power sealed a strategic partnership with BAIC Manufacturing to boost off-road EVs. These milestones, reported across D1EV and Gasgoo sources in mid-December 2024, highlight China's accelerating EV innovation amid global competition.

Jingwei Hengrun's XCU: Revolutionizing EV Electronics

Jingwei Hengrun's XCU (X-in-One Control Unit) multi-in-one main control board has hit a major milestone with its 500,000th unit rolling off the production line. Fully integrated into Geely's Xingyuan, which dominates full-category sales charts, the XCU addresses critical pain points in traditional distributed electronic architectures.

Traditional setups in smart EVs pack over 100 ECUs, leading to:

• High wire harness complexity: ~5 km of wiring, weighing nearly 5% of vehicle mass.
• Escalating costs: Redundant chips, housings, and non-reusable development.
• Complicated cooling: Dispersed components requiring multiple pumps, valves, and pipes.

The XCU flips this script with a centralized "brain" architecture:

• Integrates vehicle controller, thermal management, gateway, motor controller, and more on one Infineon AURIX TC3x chip.
• Uses high-speed on-chip communication over CAN bus for faster response and reliability.
• Cuts hardware costs, simplifies assembly, and achieves ASIL-D functional safety with hardware redundancy.

This tech not only powers Geely's sales success but sets a benchmark for domain-controlled architectures in software-defined vehicles.

MIIT Approves First L3 Autonomous EVs

Marking a pivotal step for autonomous driving, MIIT's 401st batch announcement conditionally approved two L3 (conditional automation) intelligent connected vehicles:

• Changan Automobile's submission.
• BAIC BluePark Magna's model.

Under the Road Motor Vehicle Production Enterprise & Product Access Management Measures, these approvals followed rigorous review and公示. L3 allows hands-off driving in specific conditions, elevating China ahead of many global peers. This aligns with the industry's shift to higher autonomy levels, building on L2+ systems in models from XPeng and NIO.

Dongan Power and BAIC Manufacturing Forge EV Power Pact

On December 15, Dongan Power and BAIC Manufacturing (home of the iconic Beijing 212 off-roader since 1951) signed a strategic cooperation agreement, launching the "New Power Joint Innovation Lab." This elevates their partnership from project matching to full synergy:

• Proven track record: Over 10 projects across BJ212, MPVs, and Calorie pickups; 50,000+ units sold in fuel and NEV segments.
• Future focus: Next-gen off-road powertrains blending hardcore performance with advanced NEVs.

Dongan's comprehensive powertrain lineup complements BAIC's rugged heritage, targeting China's growing off-road EV market.

Why This Matters: Global Implications for Chinese EVs

These announcements signal China's EV ecosystem maturing rapidly. XCU's scale validates integrated electronics as a cost-killer, potentially exporting to global OEMs like those in Europe facing similar wiring woes. L3 approvals position Changan and BAIC as autonomy frontrunners, challenging Tesla's FSD and Waymo amid regulatory hurdles elsewhere. The Dongan-BAIC tie-up diversifies beyond passenger EVs into off-road, capturing niche demand as brands like Rivian gain traction abroad.

In a market where China produced 9.5 million NEVs in 2024 (per CAAM data), such innovations drive efficiency, safety, and competitiveness. They counter tariffs and subsidies debates by proving technological edge.

Looking Ahead: China's EV Momentum Builds

Expect XCU expansions across more Geely platforms and beyond, L3 vehicles hitting roads post-certification, and Dongan-BAIC prototypes unveiling soon. As Chinese EV makers like BYD, NIO, and XPeng eye exports, these domain control, autonomy, and power innovations will fuel global disruption. Stay tuned—China's EV revolution is just accelerating.