On September 25, Mercedes-Benz released its strategic layout in China, which focuses on the implementation of intelligent driving technology and capital layout.
First, it jointly announced with the local intelligent driving company Momenta that a new generation of intelligent driving assistance system will be released soon. The system will first be installed on the domestically produced new pure electric CLA, which will start pre-sale on the same day; second, Mercedes-Benz Digital Technology acquired 3% of Qianli Technology's shares for 1.339 billion yuan, deepening the layout of the intelligent industrial chain through capital ties.
The result of eight years of technological collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Momenta, the newly released intelligent driving assistance system is centered around a flywheel model and employs a one-stage, end-to-end technical architecture, deeply integrating perception, decision-making, and control. Traffic light change recognition and response times are as low as 100 milliseconds, achieving near-human efficiency. To adapt to China's complex traffic environment, the R&D team utilized 100% local training data and incorporated operational materials from experienced drivers, enabling precise response to challenging scenarios such as mixed non-motorized vehicle traffic, unprotected left turns, and road construction. During testing and verification, the system underwent over 100 real-world vehicle tests on high-traffic roads nationwide. A simulation platform was then used to simulate extreme scenarios, covering severe weather conditions such as heavy rain and fog, and covering hundreds of millions of kilometers of driving time.
The all-new domestically produced CLA, built on the Mercedes-Benz MMA all-electric platform, went on pre-sale today with a price range of 259,000 to 299,000 yuan, directly targeting high-end all-electric sedan competitors. As the epitome of Mercedes-Benz's electrification and intelligent technologies, the new car achieves breakthroughs in both core performance and intelligent features.
It features an 800V high-voltage architecture and supports 320kW DC fast charging, providing 370km of range in just 10 minutes. Combined with an 89kWh ternary lithium-ion battery pack, it boasts a CLTC range of 866km, consuming only 10.9kWh per 100km. The rear-wheel drive version utilizes a 200kW motor and a two-speed transmission, achieving a top speed of 200km/h. The overseas all-wheel drive version features a 260kW powertrain, with a disconnectable front axle motor that reduces no-load energy consumption by 90%.
Intelligent features are a core competitive advantage: In addition to the first-ever intelligent driving system co-developed with Momenta, the new car also features Mercedes-Benz's proprietary MB.OS operating system. This system utilizes a domain control architecture encompassing four functional domains: intelligent cockpit, autonomous driving, body comfort, driving, and charging. Ethernet communication speeds reach 10Gbps. The intelligent cockpit is powered by the Qualcomm 8295 main chip, boasting a 72% increase in CPU computing power and a 91% increase in GPU performance compared to the previous generation. This system integrates the triple-screen and head-up display to create an interactive system. Furthermore, through a strategic partnership with ByteDance, the MBUX virtual assistant has been upgraded with a Doubao model, featuring emotion recognition and precise semantic understanding capabilities.
As its technology products were launched, Mercedes-Benz also advanced its capital layout. On September 25th, Qianli Technology announced that shareholder Lifan Holdings had defaulted on a stock pledge repurchase and would transfer 136 million shares (representing 3% of the total share capital) to Mercedes-Benz Digital Technology at 9.87 yuan per share. The proceeds will be used to repay debt. The total transaction value was approximately 1.339 billion yuan. Mercedes-Benz Digital Technology pledged not to reduce its holdings within 12 months.
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Digital Technology was established in June 2023. It is its largest overseas digital R&D center in the world, with business covering core areas such as artificial intelligence application development, autonomous driving, and automotive parts R&D.
Qianli Technology is also a company under Geely that focuses on intelligent driving. It has released an L2+ intelligent driving solution and plans to launch an L3 solution within 6 months and implement L4 Robotaxi technology in 2026.
Mercedes-Benz's all-new all-electric CLA has already begun production at its Beijing Yizhuang plant, with a planned launch this year. With the localized technical collaboration of its intelligent driving system, Mercedes-Benz's competitiveness in China's smart electric vehicle market will undoubtedly be rapidly enhanced.
