Horizon Robotics (09660) and Volkswagen Group have officially announced a significant expansion of their technical collaboration in foundational AI models through CARIZON, their joint venture established by CARIAD and Horizon.
Under the new agreement, CARIZON will leverage Horizon's advanced foundational AI model capabilities under a white-box licensing model. This will enable CARIZON to independently develop and accelerate the creation of a unified AI-powered driving solution for Volkswagen Group in China.
Horizon's foundational AI model will work in close synergy with CARIZON's in-development system-on-chip, C7H, and the GAIA world model data platform. This integration aims to comprehensively enable the implementation of Volkswagen Group's Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. It will establish a robust technical foundation for future applications in passenger vehicles and autonomous taxis (Robotaxis), while also driving the continuous iteration and upgrade of mass-produced, full-scenario advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
This AI-empowered intelligent driving technology architecture will be deeply integrated with Volkswagen Group's first locally developed zonal electronic/electrical architecture, the CEA. Leveraging the group's platform advantages, these technologies can be flexibly adapted to multiple vehicle platforms and deployed across a wide range of models, enabling broader application within the group's product portfolio for the Chinese and select international markets.
By deepening its partnership with Horizon, Volkswagen Group is continuing to solidify its local autonomous driving technology foundation. Adhering to its "In China, for China" strategy, the group is advancing its intelligent driving strategic blueprint from planning to reality through the CARIZON joint venture.
By the end of 2025, CARIZON's first ADAS system has been delivered and is already in use in models like the ID.7 and the new ID.6, providing users with features such as highway navigational assist and memory parking. Concurrently, CARIZON's full-scenario ADAS solution has entered mass production, further supporting urban navigational assist capabilities. It will be progressively installed on seven new electrified models from Volkswagen Group's three joint ventures in China starting in the third quarter of this year, with plans to expand to a broader range of CEA-based products from next year onward.
According to the plan, Volkswagen Group's Level 3 autonomous driving capability is scheduled to commence delivery as early as the second half of 2027.
Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, stated: "China has become one of the group's most important innovation hubs globally, particularly in software, artificial intelligence, and autonomous driving. This deepened cooperation will further strengthen our ability to develop and scale the application of AI-powered autonomous driving solutions. By combining world-class AI capabilities with the group's profound engineering expertise, we will be better positioned to serve Chinese customers and, in the future, support the group's business development in certain international markets."
Ralf Brandstätter, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG for China and Chairman & CEO of Volkswagen Group China, commented: "The on-schedule mass production of the full-scenario ADAS solution fully demonstrates our technical delivery capability and independent R&D strength. Building on this, we are committed to developing one of the most advanced autonomous driving systems for the future market for Chinese customers, aiming to set industry benchmarks in safety and human-like driving experience. Relying on the currently industry-leading foundational AI model for autonomous driving, the group will further enhance its technological advantages to ensure that our self-developed L3 and L4 autonomous driving solutions can be developed, applied, and scaled more rapidly and safely."
Yu Kai, Founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics, said: "As automotive intelligence accelerates its evolution towards L3 and L4 autonomous driving, the industry demands higher capabilities from underlying AI models to handle complex road conditions. The mass production this year of CARIZON's full-scenario ADAS solution, which deeply integrates Horizon's software-hardware synergy, marks a milestone achievement in our strategic cooperation with Volkswagen Group. On this solid foundation, we are honored to further deepen our collaboration with Volkswagen, providing a robust technical base for their advancement towards L3 and L4 with our advanced foundational AI model. This will also further solidify Horizon's 'ARM+Android' platform business model. In the future, Horizon will steadfastly maintain its position as an underlying enabler, working hand-in-hand with Volkswagen to accelerate the large-scale democratization of cutting-edge AI technologies."
Currently, China's automotive industry is leading the global wave of intelligent transformation, with Chinese technology firms like Horizon continuously injecting momentum into global innovation. This in-depth collaboration between Horizon and Volkswagen Group in foundational AI models will further integrate the core strengths of both parties in vehicle manufacturing and intelligent driving, accelerating the global-scale democratization of locally-developed Chinese smart technology.
Looking ahead, Horizon will continue to leverage its integrated software-hardware technological capabilities to empower the industry and contribute to the comprehensive upgrade of the intelligent mobility ecosystem.
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