German automotive supplier ZF has partnered with Chinese technology company Horizon Robotics to develop advanced driver assistance systems supporting Level 3 autonomous driving.
The collaboration combines ZF’s high-performance ProAI computing platform, which delivers up to 1,000 trillion operations per second (TOPS), with Horizon’s Journey-6P processors to create a robust computing foundation for real-time driving scenarios.
The integrated system is expected to debut in a new vehicle platform from a Chinese automaker in 2026, entering mass production across multiple models.
Although the manufacturer’s name remains undisclosed, the technology is designed to meet both international Level 3 automation standards and China’s ‘Navigate on Autopilot’ requirements.
Optimized for neural ‘Transformer’ network architectures, the platform supports complex models such as Vision-Language Models (VLM), Vision-Language-Action Models (VLA), and end-to-end systems.
It enables reliable performance in high-speed and urban environments, along with automated parking and an end-to-end driving assistant that manages the full journey from start to destination.
ZF’s ProAI unit serves as a central computing hub adaptable across vehicle types due to its scalable, modular design.
“China is an innovation ‘homeroom’ and ‘gym’ for the global automotive industry and is also ZF’s most important strategic automotive market,” said Dr. Christian Brenneke, Head of Electronics and ADAS at ZF Group.
He noted that close cooperation with Horizon Robotics and local automakers allows ZF to align global technologies with China’s fast-evolving market needs and deliver high-value, adaptable solutions.
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