Voyah Unveils L3 Technology as Dongfeng and Changan Consider Merger

Beijing - Voyah unveiled its cutting-edge L3-level intelligent architecture technology on April 16 at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, marking a stride toward fully realizing L3 autonomous driving capabilities.

On April 16, Lu Fang, CEO of Voyah, introduced the L3-level intelligent architecture technology at the press conference. (Photo/Voyah)

At the press conference, Lu Fang, CEO of Voyah, stated that the newly released L3 intelligent architecture places a strong emphasis on user safety, focusing on two core technology clusters: driver safety and vehicle safety.

The system relies on two main components: the self-developed Qingyun Platform, which enhances vehicle safety with advanced technologies like axial flux motors, steer-by-wire, and active suspension, and the Kunpeng Intelligent Driving System, which improves driver safety through autonomous driving powered by cloud-edge collaboration, multi-source data integration, and large-model training based on real-world behavior.

As Voyah advances on the path to L3 autonomous driving, its parent company, Dongfeng Motor—one of China’s three centrally administered state-owned automakers—is currently in merger talks with Changan Auto, another major state-owned carmaker based in Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area. The potential merger has sparked widespread attention both at home and abroad, with many observers viewing it as a key indicator of future shifts in China’s automotive landscape.

Industry sources indicate that the merged entity could surpass 5 million units in annual sales, potentially ranking it among the world’s top five carmakers.

Attendees from China’s automotive media voiced support for the merger. Kuang Ke, Editor of Achuanauto, noted that such a comprehensive restructuring plan has never been implemented before in China. He believes that once the merger is complete, Dongfeng and Changan are likely to launch a new brand that integrates their respective strengths in intelligent driving and powertrain systems.

Chen Qing, Editor-in-Chief of Dear Auto, added that the merger underscores China’s determination to consolidate industrial resources in the automotive sector. A successful merger, he noted, would allow the two companies to utilize excess production capacity better and centralize their R&D efforts.

Kuang also pointed out that both Dongfeng and Changan have joint ventures with foreign brands, such as Mazda and Honda, and a newly created brand under the merged entity may have implications for those partnerships. However, he also suggested that some joint venture products could benefit from the new brand’s technological innovations.

Chen emphasized that foreign brands and joint ventures should capitalize on China's technological strengths, as local innovations are driving the advancement of NEV development. Dongfeng and Changan’s NEV technologies are complementary, and joint ventures could enhance cost efficiency and competitiveness by adopting these technologies or exploring OEM rebranding.

Recently, Zhu Huarong, Chairman of Changan Auto, publicly confirmed the merger discussions during a performance briefing, stating that Changan Auto is playing an “important role” in advancing the initiative in collaboration with a relevant group. “The plan is basically finalized,” he said. According to Zhu, the goal of the merger is to build a world-class automotive group with global competitiveness, independent core technologies, and the capacity to lead the transformation toward intelligent and connected vehicles.

(Huan Ran, as an intern, also contributed to the report.)