HEFEI, China, May 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the Hefei round of the Second China Urban Intelligent Driving Competition hosted by D1EV, a leading electric and intelligent vehicle media platform, the Chery Exeed Sterra ES – equipped with WeRide Driving (WRD 3.0) – secured first place with 102.81 points, extending WRD 3.0's record to five consecutive wins. With this result, WRD 3.0, WeRide's one-stage end-to-end ADAS solution co-developed with Bosch, becomes the first and only solution in the competition's history to achieve a five-win streak, reflecting its leading position in the L2++ ADAS segment.

In the preliminary round, two WRD 3.0-powered vehicles – the Exeed Sterra ES and the GAC Aion N60 – claimed first and second place respectively. The Hefei event also marked WeRide's first multi-vehicle entry in a single competition and the debut of the Qualcomm SA8650 platform on the Aion N60. Notably, in its competition debut, the Aion N60 outperformed all Momenta- and Huawei-powered models by up to 24.95 points.

WRD 3.0 Hefei round

Final results from the Second China Urban Intelligent Driving Competition (Hefei round)

2026 marks a key year for the large-scale deployment of WeRide's L2++ ADAS solutions, alongside continued technological progress.

Built around its one-stage end-to-end architecture, WeRide continues to strengthen the generalization capability and decision-making consistency of its AI foundation models in complex scenarios. Through the WeRide GENESIS simulation platform, the company enables closed-loop data iteration and training optimization, supporting stable performance across vehicle models and operating conditions.

Cross-platform adaptability remains critical for large-scale mass production. WeRide has rapidly adapted WRD 3.0 across major compute platforms, including NVIDIA DRIVE Orin-X and Orin-Y, as well as Qualcomm SA8650, forming a scalable technical framework for deployment across multiple vehicle programs.

At Auto China 2026, WeRide further strengthened this capability through a strategic partnership with SiEngine, a provider of high-performance automotive-grade chips, aimed at improving cost efficiency and supply chain resilience.

These technical advancements are translating into broader commercial adoption. Since early 2026, WeRide has secured nearly 30 design wins across multiple brands under the GAC Group, including GAC Aion, GAC Trumpchi, Hyptec, as well as Chery Group, including Exeed, Tiggo, Lepas, Omoda, and JAECOO. Products now span from mass-market vehicles priced at approximately USD $14,000 to flagship models priced around USD $44,000.

Looking ahead, WeRide plans to expand its L2++ ADAS business beyond China, targeting global markets including Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The company continues to drive its one-stage end-to-end technology across vehicle models and real-world scenarios, with an emphasis on delivering safe, reliable, and user-friendly ADAS solutions worldwide.

About WeRide

WeRide is a global leader and a first mover in the autonomous driving industry, as well as the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Our autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 40 cities across 12 countries. We are also the first and only technology company whose products have received autonomous driving permits in eight markets: China, the UAE, Singapore, France, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and the US. Empowered by the smart, versatile, cost-effective, and highly adaptable WeRide One platform, WeRide provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, addressing transportation needs in the mobility, logistics, and sanitation industries. WeRide was named to Fortune's 2025 Change the World and 2025 Future 50 lists.

Media Contacts

WeRide: pr@weride.ai

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WeRide Achieves Record Five Consecutive Wins at China Urban Intelligent Driving Competition