China’s electric and electrified vehicle market is entering a new phase in 2026, with two storylines converging fast: advanced driver assistance is scaling into the mainstream, and family-focused SUVs are being pushed both upmarket and downmarket at the same time. According to D1EV’s latest market tally, 1.802 million locally branded passenger vehicles in China were equipped with L2 advanced driver assistance systems for urban NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) in the first half of 2026, even as the broader passenger-car market contracted by nearly 20%. At the same time, new launches such as the Wey V9X Ultra and Wuling Xingguang L show how Chinese automakers are redrawing the family SUV map from opposite ends of the market.
China’s Urban NOA Market Is Scaling at Breakneck Speed
The biggest headline is the sheer speed of growth in China’s urban NOA market. D1EV says installations rose from 253,000 units in January to 408,000 units in June, underscoring how quickly city-capable L2 systems are becoming a key selling point in China’s EV and PHEV market.
This dataset focuses specifically on production vehicles with city NOA hardware installed, excluding simpler highway navigation systems and commuter-memory functions. In other words, this is the part of the market closest to full-scenario smart driving assistance now being heavily marketed by Chinese brands.
Top players in China urban NOA, H1 2026
| Rank | Company | H1 2026 Urban NOA Installations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huawei Qiankun ADS | 323,000 | Largest third-party smart driving supplier |
| 2 | Tesla | 239,000+ | Leading full-stack automaker player |
| 3 | Momenta | 214,000 | Strong growth across multiple brands |
| 4 | Qianli Haohan | 164,000 | Former Zeekr smart driving unit |
| 5 | Xiaomi | 100,000+ | Rapidly emerging full-stack player |
| 6 | Li Auto | 100,000+ | Strong hit-model support |
| 7 | NIO | 100,000+ | Premium market presence |
| 8 | Yuanrong Qixing (DeepRoute.ai) | 134,000 | Fastest-rising meaningful challenger |
| 9 | XPeng | 100,000+ | Longtime ADAS/software contender |
| 10 | Zhuoyu Tech | 44,000 | Former DJI Automotive |
| 11 | Horizon Robotics | 33,000 | Growing from a smaller base |
| 12 | WeRide | 13,000 | Includes Bosch-WeRide solutions |
D1EV also notes that third-party solution providers accounted for 51.4% of the market in H1, while 48.6% went to full-stack in-house automaker systems from Tesla, Xiaomi, Li Auto, NIO and XPeng.
That split matters. It suggests China’s smart driving race is not settling into a winner-take-all model yet. Instead, both supplier-led and vertically integrated approaches are proving viable.
Huawei Leads, but the Market Is Still Wide Open
Huawei is clearly the volume leader in urban NOA hardware installations, holding 17.9% market share in H1 2026. Tesla followed with 13.3%, and Momenta with 11.8%. Together, those three accounted for 43% of the market.
That is significant, but not dominant. The market remains fragmented, and growth is broad-based.
Key takeaways from the D1EV data include:
- Huawei leads in absolute scale with more than 300,000 units.
- Tesla remains the benchmark for the full-stack automaker approach.
- Momenta is the most important independent Chinese ADAS software supplier after Huawei.
- DeepRoute.ai (Yuanrong Qixing) is becoming a serious contender after overtaking Qianli in June.
- Smaller players such as WeRide and Horizon Robotics posted very high growth rates from low bases.
Growth rates from January to June
| Company | Growth Rate |
|---|---|
| WeRide | 1775% |
| Horizon Robotics | 343% |
| DeepRoute.ai | 201% |
| Momenta | 121% |
| Huawei | 13% |
The most interesting figure here may be Momenta’s 121% gain, far ahead of Huawei’s 13%, which reflects how the market leader is already operating from a much larger base. Meanwhile, DeepRoute.ai’s growth is important because it is no longer too small to matter: by June, it had climbed to a monthly market share of 8.7%.
China’s Smart Driving Race Is Becoming a Data Scale Contest
The deeper story is not just about installations. It is about what those installations create: real-world driving data, faster software iteration, and lower per-unit development costs.
D1EV argues that China’s current L2 smart driving battlefield is effectively the opening chapter of a broader physical AI race. That may sound ambitious, but the logic is straightforward:
- More equipped vehicles generate more usable road data.
- More hit models improve software-hardware integration efficiency.
- Larger deployment lowers system cost and speeds up algorithm iteration.
- Better economics support stronger margins and talent retention over time.
This is why “blockbuster” models matter so much.
Best-selling urban NOA-equipped models, H1 2026
D1EV says the top 10 blockbuster models accounted for 818,000 units, or 45.4% of all urban NOA installations in H1.
| Brand/Group | Number of Hit Models | H1 Installations |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | 2 | 239,000 |
| Xiaomi | 2 | 169,000 |
| Li Auto | 1 | 120,000 |
| Aito (Huawei ecosystem) | 2 | 91,000 |
| NIO | 1 | 82,000 |
| XPeng | 1 | 61,000 |
| Zeekr | 1 | 46,000 |
This concentration gives Tesla a familiar advantage: successful, high-volume models create a flywheel for software validation and OTA improvement. D1EV argues Xiaomi is currently the Chinese brand closest to replicating that Tesla-like playbook.
The Next Battlefield: Bringing Smart Driving Below RMB 200,000
One of the most revealing points in the source data is where the market goes next. D1EV says urban NOA penetration has already exceeded 90% in EVs priced above RMB 200,000, meaning the premium market is largely penetrated.
The next phase is the much larger sub-RMB 200,000 segment, a market D1EV estimates at more than 13 million vehicles.
That is the true scale opportunity. It also explains why China’s automakers and suppliers are now racing to reduce system costs, optimize sensor stacks, and package advanced assistance into cheaper cars.
This transition is already visible in the broader SUV market.
Wey V9X Expands the Premium Family PHEV Playbook
At the upper end, Great Wall Motor’s Wey brand is broadening its reach in the premium six-seat SUV category. On July 16, Wey launched the V9X Luxury Family Edition Ultra, priced at RMB 331,800, with a limited-time price of RMB 316,800.
The new version gives the V9X line a more complete portfolio spanning:
- 1.5T and 2.0T Super Hi4 plug-in hybrid powertrains
- Standard-wheelbase and long-wheelbase variants
- Family-focused and executive-oriented positioning
Wey V9X key highlights
| Spec | Wey V9X Family Edition Ultra |
|---|---|
| Powertrain | 1.5T Super Hi4 PHEV |
| Official price | RMB 331,800 |
| Limited-time price | RMB 316,800 |
| 0-100 km/h | 4.9 seconds |
| CLTC pure electric range | 400 km |
| Charging | 6C ultra-fast charging |
| Architecture | 800V high-voltage platform |
Beyond straight-line performance, the V9X is notable for how aggressively it combines premium chassis and software tech:
- Super Hi4 four-speed hybrid architecture
- 800V platform
- Dual-chamber air suspension
- EDC electromagnetic damping
- Bi-directional 20-degree rear-wheel steering
- VLA large-model assisted driving system
Wey says the VLA system supports scenario understanding, hazard prediction, voice-command interaction, and operation across urban roads, highways, and parks. That places the V9X firmly within China’s broader smart vehicle trend, even though it is a PHEV rather than a pure EV.
In strategic terms, the V9X shows that premium Chinese family SUVs are no longer just about cabin luxury. They are becoming rolling software platforms with high-voltage architectures and advanced assistance positioned as core differentiators.
Wuling Xingguang L Attacks the Opposite End of the Market
If the Wey V9X represents the premium end of China’s family mobility push, the Wuling Xingguang L may be the more disruptive story.
Also launched on July 16, the Xingguang L enters the large six-seat PHEV SUV segment with a starting promotional price of just RMB 109,800, extending to RMB 132,800 at the top end. That is dramatically below the traditional price floor for genuine six-seat family SUVs, which has typically sat above RMB 200,000.
Wuling Xingguang L key highlights
| Spec | Wuling Xingguang L |
|---|---|
| Launch price range | RMB 109,800-132,800 |
| Vehicle length | 4,980 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,950 mm |
| Battery | 37.9 kWh |
| CLTC pure electric range | 260 km |
| Combined range | 1,260 km |
| Fuel consumption (charge-sustaining) | 4.9 L/100 km |
| Fast charging | 3C, 30%-80% in 15 minutes |
More importantly, the Xingguang L appears to have been engineered around the practical pain points of budget-conscious family buyers:
- True six-seat packaging, not a token third row
- Third-row width of 1,110 mm and seat depth of 490 mm
- Independent rear air vents and charging ports
- 383 L trunk space, expandable to 1,103 L
- Front MacPherson and rear four-link independent suspension
This is the core of Wuling’s strategy: make large-family electrified mobility accessible to the huge RMB 100,000-150,000 mass market, where most buyers currently choose five-seat compact SUVs instead.
Why These Two SUV Launches Matter Together
At first glance, the Wey V9X and Wuling Xingguang L target completely different buyers. One is a high-end PHEV six-seat SUV with an 800V platform and rear-wheel steering; the other is an aggressively priced family-oriented six-seat plug-in hybrid aimed at mainstream households.
But together they reveal a bigger shift in the Chinese EV market:
- Electrification is now fully segment-specific. Brands are no longer simply launching “an EV” or “a PHEV.” They are targeting highly defined user groups, from executive six-seaters to value-family six-seaters.
- Smart driving is becoming a broader market expectation. Even outside pure EVs, advanced assistance and AI cockpit features are increasingly central to product positioning.
- The fight is moving downmarket. Whether in urban NOA or family SUVs, the next big prize is not the premium niche but the vast mainstream market.
Why This Matters Globally
China’s smart EV ecosystem now looks increasingly unlike any other market.
D1EV’s framing is striking: among the 12 major players in this city NOA race, only Tesla is American; the other 11 are Chinese. Even more importantly, most of these companies were founded after 2014, showing how recently the current competitive landscape has taken shape.
That has several global implications:
- China is becoming the scale center for production smart driving deployment, not just EV manufacturing.
- Supplier ecosystems are maturing rapidly, giving automakers multiple paths to advanced ADAS deployment.
- PHEVs remain highly relevant in China, especially in large family SUV segments where range, charging speed, and flexibility matter.
- Cost compression is accelerating, which could eventually reshape export markets as Chinese brands package advanced software and electrification into lower price points.
For global legacy automakers, this is the critical takeaway: China is no longer only the biggest EV market by volume. It is increasingly the market where software-defined vehicle competition is moving fastest in the real world.
The Road Ahead
The second half of 2026 will likely answer three big questions.
First, can Huawei maintain its urban NOA lead as Momenta, DeepRoute.ai and others gain speed? Second, which automakers can turn smart driving into a true high-volume advantage through blockbuster models? And third, how quickly can advanced ADAS and family-oriented electrified SUVs move into the mass market below RMB 200,000?
If the first half is any guide, China’s EV race is no longer just about battery range or price. It is about scale, software, and product-market fit across sharply defined segments. That makes the country’s market the most important proving ground in the global transition from electrified cars to genuinely intelligent vehicles.
