In Depth: China’s Autonomous Driving Race Shifts From Hype to High Stakes

For years, China’s hyper-competitive smart electric vehicle (EV) market ran on a heady cocktail of AI breakthroughs and marketing bravado.

To match the hype Tesla Inc. created with its end-to-end automated driving system, Chinese automakers coined jargon of their own, such as “Level 2++” and “Navigate on Autopilot,” promising technology that could guide vehicles through chaotic city streets with the skills of a seasoned chauffeur.