Gasgoo Munich- Dongfeng Automobile Co., Ltd. unveiled its new autonomous freight mobility brand, Dongfeng OpenVAN, at a global launch event in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, on June 6, introducing four driverless logistics vehicles developed in partnership with autonomous driving specialist Zelos. Image source: ZelosDongfeng said the lineup represents the first city-focused autonomous cargo vehicle series launched by a commercial vehicle manufacturer, underscoring a growing trend of collaboration between established vehicle makers and self-driving technology companies.According to the company, the OpenVAN name combines the concepts of openness and intelligent transportation. "Open" reflects an open technology platform, manufacturing capability and partnership ecosystem, while "VAN" represents a mobile logistics unit. The brand positions itself as a provider of intelligent freight solutions with ambitions to become a global leader in autonomous logistics while promoting safer transportation, more efficient delivery operations and lower-emission urban mobility.Image source: ZelosThe initial product portfolio spans a broad range of logistics applications. The DF-2 offers a cargo volume of 2 cubic meters, a payload capacity of 1 tonne and a driving range of 120 kilometers, targeting last-mile delivery, road inspection and light sanitation operations. The DF-8 provides 8 cubic meters of cargo space, a payload of 2.8 tonnes and a range of 150 to 195 kilometers, making it suitable for retail distribution and cold-chain transportation. The DF-25 delivers 25 cubic meters of cargo capacity, a 4-tonne payload and a range of 300 kilometers, positioning it as an alternative for 4.2-meter light-duty truck applications. At the top of the range, the DF-60 features 60 cubic meters of cargo volume, a payload capacity of 13.6 tonnes and a range of 200 kilometers, covering freight scenarios typically served by 9- to 12-meter commercial trucks. Together, the four models are designed to support logistics operations ranging from last-mile delivery to trunk transportation.Zelos contributed its autonomous driving technology to the project. The jointly developed vehicle platform is powered by an end-to-end AI model with computing capability exceeding 500 TOPS. The Level 4 autonomous driving system has accumulated more than 130 million kilometers of operational validation and has been optimized for complex urban situations, including sudden pedestrian or vehicle emergence and roadway obstacles. The companies said the system's millisecond-level response capability enables it to handle more than 99% of typical and challenging urban driving scenarios while achieving a 98% similarity rate to human driving behavior.Safety architecture was another focal point of the development program. The vehicles utilize a fully redundant steer-by-wire chassis design with dual backup systems for braking, steering and power supply functions. According to the companies, steering control accuracy is maintained within 0.1 degrees, while system response time remains below 10 milliseconds. The autonomous system is also capable of identifying potential hazards more than three seconds in advance.Dongfeng Automobile said the OpenVAN lineup has completed more than 1,000 validation tests covering components, systems and full-vehicle performance. Supported by 5G cloud-control technology and an AI-powered cloud operations platform, the vehicles can maintain ultra-low-latency communications and allow a single operator to remotely supervise hundreds of vehicles around the clock. The vehicles are also designed to connect with integrated vehicle-road-cloud infrastructure networks to improve traffic coordination and decision-making efficiency.Zelos has delivered more than 25,000 autonomous vehicles to date. The company operates in more than 20 countries and over 300 cities, with more than 130 million kilometers of Level 4 commercial driving data supporting an AI development cycle that continuously feeds operational experience back into product improvement.Dongfeng Automobile and Zelos established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2025 to jointly develop autonomous vehicle products across multiple commercial segments, including freight trucks, sanitation vehicles, vans and buses. With the launch of the Dongfeng OpenVAN series, the two companies are expected to broaden their collaboration further, bringing additional autonomous commercial vehicle solutions to market as demand for intelligent logistics and transportation services continues to grow.
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