Tesla outperforms domestic competitors BYD, Xiaomi, and Huawei in driving-assisted tests, according to a recent report
In a recent ADAS testing conducted by Chinese media Dongchedi and CCTV, Tesla outperformed other electric vehicle brands, including prominent Chinese brands like BYD and Xiaomi, and international brands like Volvo. The tests evaluated 36 electric vehicles across 15 real-world highway and urban driving scenarios.
The test scenarios involved sudden hazards, construction zones, aggressive cut-ins, disappearing lead vehicles, and unusual obstacles like wild animals, all designed to evaluate actual ADAS capabilities rather than controlled lab conditions.
Tesla's Model X secured the top spot by successfully handling five out of six challenging highway scenarios. Notably, the Model X was the only vehicle to avoid colliding with a wild pig obstacle. The Tesla Model 3 also placed second in the overall rankings.
Other electric vehicle brands like BYD, Xiaomi's SU7, Xpeng, and Volvo performed significantly worse, with many failing to avoid collisions or react appropriately to complex hazards. Huawei’s ADAS system was noted for strong irregular obstacle recognition and assisting takeovers and was rated very highly, approaching Tesla’s performance, though Tesla still led overall.
The tests highlighted Tesla’s vision-based approach, notably effective in complex real-world conditions compared to some competitors relying on combined vision and LiDAR systems. Over the course of testing 36 vehicles and 15 scenarios, there were more than 216 crashes recorded, exposing weaknesses in many brand systems, while Tesla consistently demonstrated superior automated driving safety and capability.
Despite having no local training data, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Tesla achieved the top results in China. Tesla's assisted driving suite is available in China for nearly $9,000, while the technology from its local rivals including Xiaomi and BYD is without extra cost.
The public security ministry in China has warned about safety and legal risks for drivers who are distracted when assisted driving is turned on. State media in China have blamed misleading promotions for improper use of ADAS technologies. State television CCTV and Dcar jointly tested the level 2 advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) from more than 20 electric vehicle brands in China.
Tesla has been seeking approval from Chinese regulators to transfer data saved locally in Shanghai back to the United States for algorithm training. HIMA, the Huawei-led auto alliance, declined to comment on the "so-called test."
In summary, Tesla’s ADAS systems currently lead in real-world Chinese highway and urban driving tests, surpassing other major Chinese EV brands such as BYD and Xiaomi, as well as international brands tested, in handling complex driving scenarios and obstacle avoidance. Huawei’s ADAS is a close contender but still slightly behind Tesla in overall efficacy.
- The Tesla Model X, despite lacking local training data, has outperformed other electric vehicles, including Chinese brands like BYD and Xiaomi, and international brands like Volvo, in real-world ADAS testing conducted by Chinese media Dongchedi and CCTV.
- In the tests, which evaluated 36 electric vehicles across 15 driving scenarios, Tesla's Model X was the only vehicle to avoid colliding with a wild pig obstacle, securing the top spot in challenging highway scenarios.
- Despite Tesla's assisted driving suite being available for nearly $9,000 in China, other brands like Xiaomi and BYD do not incur extra costs for their technology, a point of interest for the public.
- Huawei’s ADAS system was noted for strong irregular obstacle recognition and assisting takeovers, a feature that approaches Tesla’s performance, although Tesla still led overall in the tests, highlighting Tesla’s vision-based approach as notably effective in complex, real-world conditions.
