"I enjoyed it for two seconds and then moved on, because greater challenges are certainly what lies ahead," said Yu Kai, founder and CEO of HORIZONROBOT-W (HK: 09660), on September 15 when discussing the cumulative shipments of the Journey chip series surpassing 15 million units. He set a target for next year: aiming to rise to the number one position in the high-compute intelligent driving chip market.

On the same day, HORIZONROBOT-W announced that the 15-millionth Journey chip will be installed in the FAW-Volkswagen ID. AURA T6. The company also revealed that HSD V2.1 is set to launch soon, with the key update focusing on all-scenario reversing capabilities.

Yu Kai further disclosed that the cockpit-driving integrated chip "Starlight" will begin mass production in October, with volume production ramping up significantly next year. The HSD customer base is also expanding, with plans for the solution to be featured in mass-produced models from a leading new energy vehicle manufacturer within this year.

These product and customer advancements align with HORIZONROBOT's market share ambition in the high-end segment. Data from the Gaogong Intelligent Vehicle Research Institute shows that in the first half of 2026, HORIZONROBOT-W surpassed a 50% share of the domestic-brand ADAS chip market for the first time. In the domestic-brand urban NOA chip market, its share reached 22.8%, an increase of approximately 5 percentage points from 2025, securing second place.

"When looking at the high-compute segment share, this year we are roughly in second place, and I hope to be number one next year," Yu Kai stated. The company's high-end market target accounts for both direct chip sales and the extended share derived from supporting customers' in-house development through IP licensing.

From low-compute to mid-compute and then high-compute, Yu Kai described HORIZONROBOT's past development as "encircling the cities from the countryside." The cumulative shipment of 15 million units records the scale achieved across generations of the Journey family products. As the focus shifts toward urban assisted driving, chips must now work in tandem with algorithms and vehicle control to accomplish more complex driving tasks.

The VW T6, which carries the 15-millionth chip, is the first to feature the Journey 6H, supported by the HSD AI foundation model. Yu Kai revealed that the HSD system for this vehicle underwent over 450,000 kilometers of pre-launch testing, with both parties collaborating closely on version iteration, software release, and hardware quality testing.

He specifically highlighted the impact of the chassis on the assisted driving experience. Chassis tuning, stability, and response latency all influence how effectively the system executes driving decisions. If processing is slightly delayed, hard braking may be applied as compensation, degrading the ride comfort. This underscores the ongoing vehicle integration work required when deploying the same chip and algorithm set across different vehicle models.

According to HORIZONROBOT, more than 8 million vehicles are currently equipped with Journey chips. Wang Shengli, Deputy General Manager of FAW-Volkswagen (Commercial) and Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of FAW-Volkswagen Sales Co., Ltd., stated that the T6 is just the starting point, with collaboration between the two parties set to expand comprehensively in the new energy sector.

Alongside the vehicle launches, HSD continues to enhance its specific scenario capabilities. In June this year, HORIZONROBOT introduced HSD V2.0, focused on point-to-point navigation and collision avoidance. The upcoming V2.1 adds all-scenario reversing, with the end-to-end model capable of directly generating driving trajectories for scenarios like getting unstuck or navigating narrow passages.

HSD's production customers will also grow. Yu Kai announced that the solution will be integrated into mass-produced models from a leading new energy vehicle maker this year, though the company name and specific models were not disclosed on site. When addressing questions about HSD partnerships, he also noted that Changan is included among HORIZONROBOT's clients. As the solution reaches more brands, HORIZONROBOT must adapt to the varied development methods and production requirements of different automakers.

The expansion of high-end features is also extending into lower-priced vehicle segments. HORIZONROBOT disclosed that partner Intelligent Driving Xincheng, leveraging the Journey 6M chip, is promoting the deployment of urban NOA in fuel SUVs priced around 100,000 RMB.

Regarding "democratization of intelligent driving," Yu Kai drew an analogy to the 4G revolution in mobile communications: when technology reaches a sufficiently mature level, it transitions from high-end products to entry-level offerings. He believes that current assisted driving capabilities across different vehicle price points still vary significantly, but once the technology becomes stable and smooth, intelligent driving is expected to shift from an optional feature to a more widespread standard configuration.

Yu Kai explained that the Journey 6M delivers 128 TOPS of computing power, with the strategy being joint optimization of software and hardware to enable mid-level computing platforms to handle urban assisted driving while controlling overall system costs. He cited the SAIC Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S as an example, which uses a single Journey 6M chip with a camera-based solution and no lidar. He did not disclose the specific model of the upcoming 100,000 RMB-level fuel SUV.

Another cost-reduction path is cockpit-driving integration. Yu Kai stated that automotive computing is becoming increasingly centralized. The Starlight chip, set for mass production in October with significant volume next year, will run both cockpit and intelligent driving tasks on a single chip. Previously, two separate systems each required their own chips and memory; integration eliminates redundant hardware configurations.

According to HORIZONROBOT's earlier announcements, Starlight can simultaneously deploy cockpit AI applications and high-level assisted driving models, with a safety mechanism designed to allow the two functions to operate collaboratively while remaining isolated from each other.

"DDR prices are skyrocketing right now, and automakers are all paying memory suppliers," Yu Kai commented. Starlight consolidates the two DDR systems into one, reducing memory expenses. Based on HORIZONROBOT's estimates when it unveiled Starlight in April this year, the solution can achieve hardware cost savings of 1,500 to 4,000 RMB per vehicle, with iCAR as the first partner for volume production.

The product structure for overseas business differs. Yu Kai noted that HORIZONROBOT's overseas ADAS orders have surpassed 20 million sets, with the company expanding its market presence through partners such as Bosch, Denso, Astemo, and Omega Mobility. At present, overseas consumer demand remains primarily focused on basic assisted driving, with higher-level features requiring more time to gain widespread adoption.

This also dictates HORIZONROBOT's pacing in different markets: domestically, HSD and high-compute chips are entering more brands and price segments, aiming for a larger share of urban assisted driving; overseas, the focus is on meeting mass production demand with fundamental assisted driving capabilities.