From "auto driving" to "assisted driving," the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show demonstrated the practical shift in technology implementation

The 2025 Shanghai National Exhibition Center reaffirmed its status as the global automotive industry nexus. As show spotlights illuminated advanced ADAS-equipped vehicles, industry insiders discerned a crucial evolution: corporate narratives have transitioned from "disruptive innovation" to "pragmatic evolution," signaling market maturity through technology implementation rather than conceptual hype.

Current industry discourse - exemplified by Huawei's "system safety redundancy" emphasis and NIO's "scenario-tiered subscription model" - reflects a fundamental market transformation under tripartite forces of regulation, demand, and technology. This silent revolution manifests as a paradigm shift from technological gimmickry to value substantiation, from disruptive narratives to systematic reconstruction.

From chaos to rule reconstruction

The preceding five years witnessed aggressive expansion in China's intelligent driving sector. Marketing narratives promoted "L4-equivalent autonomy" and "full-scenario hands-free operation," while municipal governments competed in test road openings and investors poured capital into unmanned logistics infrastructure. The "ubiquitous autonomy" era appeared imminent.

Current policy adjustments compel OEMs to recalibrate technical roadmaps. At Shanghai Auto Show 2025, multiple manufacturers shifted marketing focus from "steering wheel elimination" to "safety redundancy" demonstrations. Though Huawei ADS 4.0 claims production readiness, its exhibition highlights millimeter-wave radar redundancy and extreme-weather AEB performance rather than full autonomy. NIO's "Unlimited Mode" confines map-less ADAS to limited user trials, avoiding overcommitment through controlled testing.

Under tightened regulations, safety has supplanted technological radicalism as the core narrative. BMW Group Board Member Pieter Nota emphasized this priority hierarchy: "For BMW, if we must prioritize between advanced autonomous experiences and safety guarantees, safety always takes precedence."

Notably, MIIT's recent prohibition of misleading terminology like "autonomous driving" and "driverless" signifies the formal integration of industry discourse into regulatory frameworks.

Regulatory pressures have precipitated rising validation costs. A lead engineer from a top EV startup revealed to industry media that meeting new "extreme scenario coverage" requirements necessitates collecting over 10 million additional test kilometers - a barrier forcing smaller players out. Industry consolidation has intensified, with seven autonomous driving firms ceasing operations in H2 2024 alone, as regulatory boundaries redefine technological viability.

From technology to revaluation

Early-stage intelligent driving systems marketed as "hands-free solutions" gradually lost consumer confidence due to persistent issues like system misjudgments and HD map coverage gaps. The current market transition reflects a paradigm shift from engineer-driven technology races to consumer-dictated value assessments through purchasing decisions.

This demand-side rationalization stems from dual forces: continuous exposure of real-world accident cases has heightened consumer awareness of technological limitations. Recent high-profile ADAS-related incidents have significantly eroded public trust in autonomous systems.

Concurrently, evolving market conditions have prompted users to reassess the cost-effectiveness of intelligent driving systems. A representative forum comment illustrates this trend: "Investing ¥40,000 in premium ADAS packages proves less practical than extending insurance coverage." This pragmatic shift underscores the automotive consumption paradigm moving from technical supremacy worship to functional utilitarianism.

Automotive manufacturers have responded to market signals by shifting their performance metrics in exhibition displays. Traditional parameters like computing power and pixel density are being replaced by scenario coverage rates and takeover frequency indicators. This strategic pivot reflects an industry-wide transition from pursuing "full-road coverage" to prioritizing high-frequency usage scenarios. Case in point: Huawei's ADS 3.0 system in the AITO M8 employs multi-sensor fusion to optimize urban congestion following logic and ramp merging efficiency, while Buick's L2 urban ADAS developed with Momenta utilizes end-to-end large model architecture to enhance intersection negotiation capabilities.

Technological innovations continue addressing core user concerns: Li i8's 5C ultra-fast charging technology ("400 km range in 10 minutes") targets range anxiety mitigation, while Marelli's pixel taillights employ dynamic interaction design to enhance road communication efficiency, translating technical capabilities into tangible safety value propositions.

The 2025 Shanghai Auto Show's "de-automation" trend doesn't signal technological stagnation but rather initiates a consolidation phase following rapid development. Three converging forces - regulatory constraints, rationalized consumer demands, and value reconstruction in technology implementation - are steering the industry back to safety-first R&D principles. Future competition will likely transition from spec sheet comparisons to trust-building transformations within policy frameworks, evolving from technological showcases to reliable mobility companions.