Mercedes-Benz became a shareholder of Qianli Technology Group, the company announced on December 27. The reason was the completion of the strategic consolidation of the autonomous-driving business with the Qianli Intelligent Driving division, as It Home previously reported. Essentially, this means that previously fragmented areas and developments were brought together into a single managed structure to accelerate development and bring technologies to product.
How the integration proceeded and what exactly was consolidated
The company уточняет, that the integration affected not only the “signboard” but also the internal operating architecture: from the organizational structure to technology and data frameworks. It is emphasized separately that the process required alignment at several levels at once—between systems and technical layers.
Key elements of the consolidation
- organizational structure and allocation of functions;
- technology platforms and development tools;
- systems for processing and using data;
- product-line planning and future solutions.
Who will lead Qianli Intelligent Driving
After the consolidation is completed, the direction will be headed by the core management team. It includes Chairman of the Board and CEO Wang Jun, Co-CEO Chen Qi, CTO Yang Mu, as well as Chen Baocheng—head of R&D and the Project Management Office. The stated focus of management is the development of autonomous-driving technologies and the delivery of finished products.
Technical course: a bet on a “high model ratio”
Qianli Intelligent Driving states that after the integration it is emphasizing an approach in which the share of algorithms and models in the autonomous-driving architecture increases. Priority is given not to expanding the number of functions, but to the quality of model “generalization,” the efficiency of working with data, and reducing dependence on manually coded rules.
Why this is needed
- to achieve more predictable and consistent system behavior in complex urban traffic;
- to ensure stability on long trips;
- to simplify inter-regional deployment without constant “tuning” to local conditions.
At the same time, the specific system parameters, implementation timelines, and the list of car models where the solutions will appear are not disclosed.
The deal: 3% for 1.34 billion yuan and major-shareholder status
Mercedes-Benz said it closed a deal to buy 3% of Qianli Technology for 1.34 billion yuan ($191 million). This happened about three months after the first announcement. The buyer was Mercedes-Benz Digital Technology, and the settlement included the transfer of 135.6 million shares of Lifan Holdings, traded in Shanghai, at 9.87 yuan per share. Before the transaction, Lifan Holdings owned more than 5% of Qianli Technology. As a result, Mercedes-Benz became the fifth-largest shareholder, while it was expected that there would be no change in controlling parties.
Geely’s role and further consolidation of technologies
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is named as one of Qianli Technology’s key shareholders, and it was Geely that played the leading role in bringing Mercedes-Benz into the investment. In parallel, Geely continues to assemble autonomous-driving and “smart” cockpit capabilities within the broader Qianli platform. Industry sources also report that Geely’s intelligent-cockpit team from the central R&D institute may be merged with Qianli Technology to strengthen the foundation for both autonomous driving and cockpit control systems. Earlier this year, Geely had already integrated several internal autonomous-driving teams into Qianli Intelligent Driving, which fits into a strategy of optimizing development and creating a unified technology platform for autonomous driving and intelligent mobility.
Brief timeline
- March: Qianli Technology announced plans to invest in an autonomous-driving JV with an open platform for third-party automakers;
- late June: Qianli Intelligent Driving was officially established;
- December 27: the completion of the integration and Mercedes-Benz’s equity participation were announced (source: carnewschina.com).
