Gasgoo Munich-In May 2026, Li Auto founder Li Xiang publicly declared that chassis technology could be "the final shortcoming holding back Chinese automakers from global dominance."The comment quickly sparked industry debate: With China already holding a world-leading edge in intelligent interaction, driver assistance, and powertrain systems, is chassis engineering emerging as the toughest technical barrier for domestic brands expanding overseas? The issue demands a look at both the tangible gaps and the profound transformations reshaping the sector. The Gap Is RealLi’s assessment is not an isolated view within the industry. Numerous experts point out that while Chinese new-energy vehicles have steadily moved to the forefront in smart cockpits, driver assistance, and electric drivetrains, they still lag behind international luxury leaders like Porsche and Ferrari in chassis engineering—a traditional stronghold of legacy automakers.Image Source: NIOThe disparity is first evident in the depth of technological evolution. Most domestic brands currently focus on semi-active suspensions, such as air springs and CDC dampers. Industry data shows that in 2025, the installation volume of air suspension systems in China's passenger cars reached roughly 1.272 million units—a penetration rate of 5.4%—concentrated primarily in the 200,000 to 300,000 CNY price bracket. Meanwhile, the mass application of fully active suspensions remains in its infancy: an estimated 130,000 units are expected for 2026, though that figure is projected to climb to 590,000 by 2030.Challenges also persist in steer-by-wire chassis technology. By replacing mechanical and hydraulic connections with electronic signals, these systems serve as a critical execution layer for Level 3 and higher autonomous driving.The industry hit a policy turning point in 2026 with the implementation of two new national standards—GB 21670-2025 for braking and GB 17675-2025 for steering. These regulations cleared the path for the mass production of electromechanical braking and steer-by-wire systems.In terms of maturity, brake-by-wire systems are still dominated by Electro-Hydraulic Braking (EHB) solutions, meaning a full transition to Electromechanical Braking (EMB) will take time. Similarly, while steer-by-wire has appeared on flagship models from emerging EV makers, its safety redundancy designs and consistency in mass production are still being tested.Image Source: Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Automotive SolutionsAnother dimension of the competition lies in building software-defined chassis capabilities. Huawei’s Tuling Longxing platform employs a full-domain fusion architecture that integrates active perception, central control, intelligent inference, and self-learning—shifting decision-making from reactive to proactive. Meanwhile, the BYD Yangwang U7 deeply merges its DiSus-Z fully active suspension with the e4 four-motor drive system, completing the entire perception-to-execution loop in just 5 ms. This enables fully digital, coordinated control of body posture across six degrees of freedom. These breakthroughs signal that Chinese automakers are rapidly closing the gap in chassis intelligence.The Domestic Catch-Up Is AcceleratingWhile the gap is undeniable, China’s technological accumulation and industrial coordination in chassis engineering have accelerated in recent years. This pursuit is unfolding along two main fronts: a localized breakout in the upstream components supply chain, and systematic technical mastery at the OEM level.On the supply chain side, take air suspensions as an example: between January and February 2026, the total installation volume in domestic passenger cars hit 221,000 units. The top three players—Tuopu Group, Konghui Technology, and Baolong Technology—are all local enterprises, collectively commanding over 92% of the market. This stands in stark contrast to five years ago, when the market was largely dominated by foreign giants like Vibracoustic and Continental, highlighting the progress China has made in substituting imports for core chassis components.Image Source: BYD AutoAt the OEM level, innovations ranging from system integration to original architectures are emerging rapidly. BYD continues to expand its DiSus product matrix: the Yangwang U7 features the DiSus-Z fully active suspension, while the Denza concept sports car—equipped with DiSus-M—boasts China's first fully self-developed steer-by-wire system.Meanwhile, Huawei’s digital chassis ecosystem is gaining traction. The Zunjie S800 is equipped with the industry's first proprietary intelligent digital chassis platform—the Tuling Longxing platform—which uses a full-domain fusion architecture with a minimum decision latency of under 1 ms. It comes standard with dual-chamber air suspension, continuously variable dampers, and multi-wheel steering control. The Xiangjie S9T, featuring the Tuling 3.0 platform, achieved a moose test score of 83.3 km/h.Image Source: Li AutoThe Li Auto L9 Livis, for its part, features a "fully realized" steer-by-wire chassis—encompassing steer-by-wire, electro-mechanical braking, and rear-wheel steering—all capable of continuous evolution via OTA updates.Conclusion:From market share and technical reserves to supply chain clout, China's chassis technology ecosystem is shifting from being constrained by foreign dependencies to achieving independent control. While chassis engineering remains a "final technical hurdle" for the globalization of Chinese auto brands—one that still requires progress to make—the pace of the catch-up and the intensity of investment are clear.For the Chinese automotive industry, the true test may not lie in building a single model with top-tier chassis performance, but in establishing a chassis technology system that spans the entire industrial chain and is capable of sustainable iteration.
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