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China’s tech companies and automakers have invested billions in self-driving technology,
The Huawei-backed Aito M9 car. Picture: Wikipedia.
As cars continue to evolve with more stunning, sporty and powerful vehicles, so does the technology under the hood.
Autonomous cars are not new, and like any concept, they are expensive to develop and are equally aggressively priced when they hit the market.
Self-driving cars
China’s tech companies and automakers have invested billions in self-driving technology, aiming to catch up with industry leaders in the United States.
On a recent trip to Shenzhen, The Citizen had the opportunity to experience autonomous cars. However, while the car drove and navigated itself through the city, the driver, Lyn, had to remain in the driver’s seat.
“According to Chinese law, I have to sit here even if I am not driving”.
WATCH: Huawei gives a glimpse into the self-driving capabilities of the Aito M9.
Check out this amazing technology I saw at the Huawei flagship store in Shenzhen, China. This is the Aito M9 series car. It literally drives itself 😀 The driver is Kiki #Huawej #AitoM9 @HuaweiZA pic.twitter.com/abvX565SU4
— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) June 18, 2025
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Fatal crash
It was a bit scary watching the Huawei-backed Aito M9 car driving itself and eventually parking perfectly opposite Huawei’s flagship on its sprawling campus.
Concerns about safety arose in April when an Aito car was involved in a fatal accident due to a failure in its automatic braking system.
So, while an autonomous car will be great when driving from Johannesburg to Cape Town, being behind the wheel and alert is a must.
Long way to go
Despite growing interest, fully autonomous cars still have a long way to go before they become commonplace.
The lack of a human driver also raises practical concerns. Some customers have disabilities or large items, and driverless cars can’t help them.
Huawei tech
Last year, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD signed an agreement with Huawei to use the Chinese tech conglomerate’s advanced autonomous driving system in its off-road Fangchengbao EVs.
The use of Huawei technology also highlights pressure on the Chinese EV champion to play catch-up against rivals in beefing up smart driving configuration with in-house development.
The partnership with Huawei also reflected the growing presence of the Chinese tech company in the EV sector as a major supplier of ADAS. Volkswagen’s Audi will also use Huawei’s ADAS in its EVs for the Chinese market.
