Wu Yongqiao, President of Bosch Intelligent Driving Control in China, recently called for charging for advanced intelligent driving in a speech at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. He believes that if all advanced intelligent driving systems are installed free of charge on all models, it will bring disaster to China's intelligent driving industry.
The report cited data showing that from January to May this year, China's auto industry revenue grew by 7%, with passenger car sales increasing by 14%, but overall profits declined by 11.9%. This data has prompted deep reflection among all those involved in the auto industry.
Wu Yongqiao believes that, in the entire Chinese auto parts industry, only Huawei and CATL have a certain degree of pricing power over OEMs. It's an indisputable fact that all other Chinese auto suppliers, including Bosch, face brutal price competition.
How can we break the industry's internal competition? Wu Yongqiao stated that for China's intelligent driving industry, the best path forward is to emulate Tesla's approach of encouraging users to pay for advanced technology. Otherwise, if all advanced intelligent driving systems were offered free of charge on all models, it would be disastrous for the industry.
Wu Yongqiao also believes that the engineering, implementation, and delivery of advanced intelligent driving technology is the most complex systematic project in automotive history, bar none. Many companies, OEMs, and suppliers have failed to implement and deliver projects due to engineering delivery and large-scale mass production. Therefore, engineering delivery and implementation, not the technology itself, are the most critical factors in determining the future of intelligent driving.
Wu Yongqiao also believes that intelligent driving will not bring emotional value to people in the future. Safe, comfortable, and convenient transportation from point A to point B is sufficient, and it will not become a competitive differentiator for OEMs. He believes that intelligent cockpits are the key differentiator for OEMs.
