German automotive supplier ZF Group and Chinese AI chip specialist Horizon Robotics have joined forces to introduce a next-generation driver assistance platform tailored for the Chinese market, supporting up to SAE Level 3 automation and China’s “Navigate on Autopilot” (NOA) urban driving capability. The solution builds on ZF’s automotive-grade “ProAI” compute architecture and Horizon Robotics’ “Journey 6P” processor, delivering over 1,000 TOPS of computing power for full-scenario driving – from highways to city streets to automated parking.
The system is slated for mass production in 2026, starting with an EV platform from a major Chinese automaker. By combining ZF’s global Tier-1 expertise in chassis, electronics and ADAS with Horizon’s localised compute hardware and AI stack, the collaboration aims to accelerate the mainstream rollout of advanced driver assistance in China and reinforce ZF’s strategic presence in its most important regional market.
Beyond technical performance, the joint system underscores a key shift: moving from incremental driver-aid features to full-scenario solutions that handle complex urban, highway and parking environments under one architecture. Features planned include highway NOA, urban NOA, automated parking and “parking-lot to parking-spot” autonomy. For the auto industry, this collaboration signals a deeper integration of global suppliers with China’s domestic tech ecosystem to bring high-end ADAS capabilities into production at scale.
