Richard Yu is back to challenge the status quo.
At the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving Technology launch on March 4, Richard Yu unveiled a &#34;bomb&#34;—the dual-light-path lidar, which is Huawei's attempt to solidify its position in the rapidly evolving intelligent driving industry as FSD enters China.
According to the plan, the new lidar will first be equipped on the Aito M9 and the ZunJie S800 flagship models. The former is the sales and profit pillar within the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving system, while the latter symbolizes a breakthrough into a higher price range.
From the outside perspective, Richard Yu aims to use more hardcore technology to add another layer of protection for his high-end flagship.
On the other hand, the offensive against the sinking market has also begun. This time, Richard Yu brought the first coupe Z7 and shooting brake model Z7T from the ShangJie brand, preparing to take the &#34;affordable alternative&#34; route to the Porsche Taycan, targeting the vast mid-range young market.
The high-end market must maintain its advantages, while the young market needs to scale up.
For Richard Yu and HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving, crossing the million scale is just the beginning. Below the stage is the highly competitive Chinese new energy market, where price wars and technology battles intertwine, and the market has already begun to question the next phase of growth for HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving.
<h2>Drawing the Sword</h2>
In today's automotive market, lidar is no longer a scarce configuration, but the &#34;dual-light-path&#34; still has technical barriers in the current mass production system.
Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solutions BU, introduced that the new lidar features Huawei's innovative dual-light-path architecture, achieving integrated dual-focus with two different focal length laser receiving units, namely wide-angle and telephoto, for integrated imaging.
In terms of product performance, the new generation of dual-light-path image-level lidar has a resolution that is four times higher than the previous 192-line lidar, making it more accurate in recognizing small objects. Due to the existence of two focal lengths, the image can present a picture-in-picture effect, allowing for a wide-angle view of the overall scene while also accurately capturing details through telephoto feedback.
Specifically for obstacle recognition, the new generation of dual-light-path image-level lidar can accurately identify small target obstacles, recognizing obstacles over 14 centimeters within a distance of 120 meters. The reason for setting the recognition height at 14 centimeters, according to Jin Yuzhi, is mainly because the chassis height of cars on the road is generally above 14 centimeters.
Industry insiders pointed out to Wall Street Journal that traditional lidar is limited by a single optical system, either having a wide angle but not being able to see far (easily missing distant details) or having a long focus but a narrow field of view (easily overlooking surrounding blind spots).
The cleverness of the dual-light-path technology lies in the integration of two independent receiving units within a single lidar, fundamentally solving the contradiction of traditional lidar where &#34;you can't have your cake and eat it too.&#34;
Richard Yu stated that he began developing this lidar when he also served as the CEO of the automotive BU, and it took several years from development to mass production. This new game-changer will also be used in their flagship models—the Aito M9 and ZunJie S800
In the past year, Aito M9 has almost become the &#34;stabilizing force&#34; in Huawei's automotive landscape. In the SUV market at the 500,000 yuan level, the M9, with its HarmonyOS cockpit, Huawei's advanced intelligent driving, brand endorsement, and strong marketing capabilities, once became a phenomenon; the ZunJie S800 carries the mission of pushing into higher price ranges and is Huawei's attempt in the luxury executive sedan market with its partners.
The commonality of these two vehicles is their clear profit attributes, even becoming &#34;volume&#34; models in the high-end market, serving as important support for the cash flow and brand height of the HarmonyOS intelligent driving system. Sources close to HarmonyOS intelligent driving revealed to Wall Street News that they are the &#34;profit cows&#34; in the &#34;Five Realms&#34; landscape.
However, the problems are equally apparent. The high-end market has never been determined solely by technical points, but rather by a comprehensive competition of brand, channel, service, financial capability, and continuous iteration ability. Industry insiders told Wall Street News that various companies are already making efforts in the &#34;9 Series&#34; flagship track, and Richard Yu's emphasis on dual-laser radar at this time is, to some extent, consolidating the moat.
As intelligent driving gradually becomes a standard selling point, single laser radar and even pure vision solutions are continuously iterating. If technology is not continuously stacked upwards, the brand's premium logic will be diluted.
Huawei's approach has always been to prioritize technical narratives. This was true in the smartphone era and is also true in the automotive era.
From HarmonyOS to ADS advanced intelligent driving, from electric drive systems to in-car ecosystems, each press conference feels like a declaration of capability. Dual-laser radar is a continuation of this narrative and a &#34;signal release&#34; to the market—Huawei still aims to be in the first tier of high-end intelligent driving.
Therefore, for these two models that concern industry status and revenue lifelines, there can be no compromise on technology. It is also to consolidate HarmonyOS intelligent driving's absolute leadership position in the &#34;second half of intelligence&#34; and ensure that these two &#34;profit cows&#34; can continue to thrive.
<h2>Volume Growth</h2>
However, the high-end is only one wing of HarmonyOS intelligent driving. On the same day, the first coupe product Z7 under ShangJie was unveiled, releasing another layer of signal: after stabilizing its footing in the high-end, HarmonyOS intelligent driving is starting to more actively target the young market and relatively lower price ranges.
The ShangJie Z7 is positioned as a stylish technology coupe, targeting young users. Meanwhile, the Z7T, as the first shooting brake model of HarmonyOS intelligent driving, emphasizes the combination of aesthetics and spaciousness, attempting to find a new balance between design and practicality. The new car is planned to be launched at the end of March, with a tight schedule, clearly aimed at seizing the spring car market window.
In fact, the current Chinese new energy market shows a clear polarization trend.
On one hand, high-end models still have a certain premium space under the support of brand momentum and intelligent labels; on the other hand, the 200,000 to 300,000 yuan range has become the fiercest battleground. Price wars are rampant, configurations are rapidly maximized, yet consumer expectations for intelligence have not diminished.
Against this backdrop, if HarmonyOS intelligent driving only sticks to the high-end, the scale ceiling will soon become apparent. The emergence of ShangJie is essentially a response to this issue
Through a younger design language, bolder color schemes, and more cost-effective pricing strategies, HarmonyOS Smart Mobility aims to spread the technological dividends of HarmonyOS cockpit and advanced intelligent driving to a broader consumer base. For Huawei, the software ecosystem and user scale have always been core assets.
The value of scale effects in the era of smart cars has been further amplified.
First is the dilution of hardware costs. The hardware costs of advanced intelligent driving sensors (such as LiDAR, high-definition cameras) and high-performance chips are high. Only when vehicle sales reach a certain scale can sufficient bargaining power be obtained on the supply chain side through large procurement volumes, thereby reducing marginal costs.
Secondly, there is the drive of software development and the data flywheel. Huawei has invested massive R&amp;D funds in the ADS advanced intelligent driving system, and these costs need to be shared by more vehicles. More importantly, the evolution of intelligent driving relies on deep learning, which in turn depends on vast, diverse, and high-quality data.
The active travel trajectories of young users and the complex urban traffic scenarios will continuously provide nourishment for Huawei's cloud computing center, accelerating the iteration and upgrade of algorithms. This technological moat brought about by scale is something that no single high-end brand can establish.
Moreover, the synergy between the high-end and low-end markets can effectively enhance the stickiness of the HarmonyOS Smart Mobility ecosystem. A young person, upon graduating from university or entering the workforce, may purchase a Shangjie Z7 due to its aesthetics, cost-effectiveness, and technological appeal. As they age, accumulate wealth, and experience changes in family structure, they are likely to upgrade to a Wenjie M9 or even a Zunjie S800 when they change cars, having become accustomed to the seamless experience of the HarmonyOS cockpit and trusting the safety and reliability of Huawei's intelligent driving.
This is the user lifecycle management that automotive brands dream of. HarmonyOS Smart Mobility attempts to build a solid ecological barrier through differently positioned &#34;Jie&#34; series brands, making it difficult for users to switch to other brands once they enter this ecosystem.
<h2>Challenges</h2>
From Wenjie to Shangjie and Zunjie, the brand layout of HarmonyOS Smart Mobility is gradually becoming clear: high-end luxury, mid-to-high-end technology, and youthful trends, with multiple product lines running in parallel. In a sense, HarmonyOS Smart Mobility is undergoing a transformation from &#34;creating blockbuster products&#34; to &#34;system capabilities.&#34;
However, although the strategic blueprint is grand, in the actual implementation process, Richard Yu and his team still face considerable challenges.
The dual-line operation poses high demands on HarmonyOS Smart Mobility's resource allocation capabilities, supply chain management capabilities, and channel service capabilities.
The mass production and yield control of cutting-edge technologies such as dual-lightway LiDAR are challenging in themselves.
As the latest developed &#34;new weapon,&#34; how to ensure absolute performance leadership while controlling costs and ensuring that the production capacity of Wenjie M9 and Zunjie S800 is not constrained by core components is a test facing Huawei's supply chain team.
On the other hand, the Shangjie Z7 series, aimed at the young market, depends not only on product strength but also on how to balance costs and selling prices for its success. In the fiercely competitive market ranging from hundreds of thousands to over two million yuan, BYD, Geely, Changan, and numerous new force brands have already laid out extensive networks
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The market has risks, and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the specific investment goals, financial situation, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article align with their specific circumstances. Investment based on this is at one's own risk

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Richard Yu launched the dual-laser path LiDAR at the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving Technology Conference on March 4, aiming to consolidate Huawei's position in the intelligent driving industry. The new LiDAR will first be applied to the Aito M9 and the Aito S800 flagship models, enhancing competitiveness in the high-end market. At the same time, Huawei also plans to enter the mid-range market with the Aito Z7 coupe and the Aito Z7T shooting brake model, targeting young consumers. The technical advantage of the new LiDAR lies in its resolution, which has increased by four times, allowing for more accurate identification of small objects and enhancing product competitiveness

Richard Yu showcases "new weapon"