Chinese Intelligent Driving OS Becomes Global Public Code Base Baseline

On June 10, 2026, the international organization Automotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR) announced in Shanghai that China’s independently developed intelligent driving operating system has officially become the core baseline of the global intelligent driving system public code repository. This marks the first time that Chinese automotive foundational software technology has been incorporated into a global sector standard.

The contribution, made by iSOFT INFRASTRUCTURE SOFTWARE CO., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as iSOFT), a subsidiary of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), involves a production-ready intelligent driving middleware. This middleware has been integrated into AUTOSAR’s Common Adaptive Platform Implementation (CAPI) project, serving as the essential “software foundation” for intelligent vehicles. It coordinates computing power across vehicle chips, ensuring stable operation for various intelligent driving functions.

AUTOSAR is a global partnership that sets open, standardized software architecture for vehicles, serving as the industry’s common framework to enable component interoperability and reduce development complexity. CAPI is a strategic “code-first” project launched by AUTOSAR in 2025, which aims to deliver standardized, production-grade practical implementations of the AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform. By providing executable platform components that align with AUTOSAR specifications, CAPI enhances interoperability, integration speed, and deployment efficiency among global automotive stakeholders.

An AUTOSAR official explained that the Chinese solution was selected due to the country’s highly dynamic intelligent driving market. Notably, a Chinese-made intelligent vehicle operating system has already been deployed in over 25 million units across more than 300 vehicle models, validated under extensive real-world conditions. The move reflects a broader global trend toward open-source collaboration in the automotive sector.

For European stakeholders, the implications are mixed. On the positive side, CAPI offers a production-validated public code baseline that can help European automakers and suppliers reduce redundant development costs in foundational software, freeing resources for higher-level differentiation. Challenges remain, however. Over the past two decades, Europe has been the primary architect of automotive software standards like AUTOSAR. The reverse flow of code contributions from China marks a shift from that established order, meaning European companies will need to adapt to a new baseline shaped in part by Chinese engineering practices.

Source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/bfscMusuqLoC0qPGKN9BqQ