PUBLISHER: ResearchInChina | PRODUCT CODE: 2074809
PUBLISHER: ResearchInChina | PRODUCT CODE: 2074809
Central Domain Control and Motion Control Research: XYZ Coordinated Control and Full X-by-Wire Actuation System
With the gradual penetration of L3+ autonomous driving, the chassis control system is accelerating its leap towards active intelligence.
The intelligent chassis control system is the core technology evolution of automobiles under the wave of electrification and intelligence. Through the deep integration of sensors, domain controllers and wire-controlled actuators, the traditional passively responsive mechanical chassis is upgraded to a "digital nervous system" that can actively perceive, intelligently make decisions, and enable precise collaborative control. Its core value lies in enabling a closed loop of "perception-decision-actuation", which is not only the key to improving driving comfort and maneuverability, but also an indispensable hardware cornerstone for realizing high-level autonomous driving (L3+).
Intelligent chassis technology is undergoing profound changes from traditional mechanical actuators to X-by-wire, full automation, and AI integration. From 2026 to 2028, Intelligent Chassis 3.0 gradually moves from test planning to mass production and application, and chassis technology leaps from passive response to active intelligence.
Chassis cross-domain integration is accelerating, moving towards the central chassis domain control (VMC) + edge component fusion motion control architecture (central unified scheduling + edge precise actuation).
The EEA of the chassis is gradually being upgraded to Ethernet-based automotive bus technology. The future chassis system will be truly defined by software. Through software and hardware decoupling, the chassis domain will be deeply integrated with the intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit and powertrain domains. For example, with AI foundation models and data feedback, the chassis controller can achieve cross-domain integrated control and continuous evolution via OTA updates.
The VMC + edge component fusion motion control architecture is the core technology form of the Intelligent Chassis 3.0 era. This architecture aims to break the situation in which each subsystem of the traditional chassis works independently. By building a brain with powerful computing power, it coordinates and dispatches various wire-controlled actuators on the edge of the chassis to achieve the ultimate coordination of vehicle movement.
1.VMC (brain): VMC replaces the traditional distributed ECU and is responsible for collecting multi-dimensional sensor data in real time, analyzing driver intentions, and establishing a unified vehicle dynamics model.
2.Edge component fusion (limbs): The chassis is no longer managed by isolated independent controllers such as steering, braking, and suspension. Instead, high-level functional algorithms (VDC, TCS, etc.) are decoupled from each component and moved up to the central domain controller for overall calculation. Edge actuators (such as EMB, steer-by-wire and active suspension) only receive and execute instructions with highly responsive capabilities.
Currently, leading OEMs and suppliers at home and abroad have implemented this architecture:
Huawei (HUAWEI XMC): adopts the industry's first "six-in-one" central integrated control full-domain fusion architecture to deeply integrate six major systems (body, powertrain, suspension, steering, braking, and thermal management). Cooperating with the self-developed five-in-one vehicle control module, the decision-making link delay is less than 1ms, and the "cerebrum+cerebellum" cross-domain integration with ADS has been formed.
NIO (SkyRide VMC): VMC takes over more than 2,100 body parameters and more than 140 chassis atomization capabilities. As a unified interface between autonomous driving and actuators, it absorbs and reorganizes the conflicts of all subsystems to achieve a single task processing delay of <10ms.
ZF (cubiX): Its vehicle motion control software provides a unified and standardized chassis control interface to the upper layer by coordinating front-wheel steering, braking, rear-wheel steering, active suspension and other actuators to meet the cross-domain controller control requirements for the chassis in the autonomous driving domain.
AI+chassis integration moves towards a deep closed loop of perception-decision-actuation
As the automotive EEA evolves to a centralized system, the integration of AI and chassis is moving from single-function assistance to a deep closed loop of perception-decision-actuation. The AI+chassis fusion technology architecture uses a unified central computing architecture to connect the intelligent cockpit (interaction and intent understanding), autonomous driving (path planning and decision-making), and chassis (steering, braking, and suspension actuation) from the bottom up.
AI chassis pre-emption system - active perception and predictive chassis control fusion logic: Sensors including automotive cameras and LiDAR are adopted together with cloud AI technology to identify and model road surface undulations ahead (e.g., potholes, speed bumps, ice and snow). After the AI algorithm predicts the road conditions, it issues instructions to the active suspension or brake-by-wire in milliseconds to adjust damping or torque in advance. It focuses on using AI algorithms to conduct real-time analysis of the vehicle's external environment and perform feedforward adjustments to the chassis actuator in advance to achieve comfort and safety "as if walking on flat ground".
At present, many domestic and foreign OEMs and suppliers have taken the AI pre-emption system as a core selling point and achieved mass production:
ZF AI road perception system: Combining camera signals with chassis signals such as tire slip rate, AI can accurately distinguish between deep snow and shallow snow. "Snow Start" mode is automatically activated when slippery pavement is detected, without driver intervention.
XPeng AI chassis: Visual recognition and cloud-layer perception are integrated to automatically adjust suspension stiffness prior to the vehicle's passage over bumpy road sections, effectively filtering minor vibrations and lowering the risk of vehicle damage under low-light conditions. The 2026 XPeng P7+ is equipped with AI chassis as standard. The intelligent pre-emption can reach up to 30 meters, and the chassis parameters can be adjusted within 300 milliseconds. The impact of passing through speed bumps is reduced by 56% compared with luxury vehicle models.
Chery Fulwin: The AI magnetic levitation digital chassis scans pavement 1,000 times per second through the camera and performs dynamic damping adjustments 100 times per second, improving cornering stability by 50%.
Roewe: The AI mCDC system can predict road conditions 0.5 seconds in advance, resolve 90% of vibration energy on bumpy road sections, and decentralize this technology to the RMB100,000 vehicle market.
BYD Tang L: DiSus-C+ can identify potholes or speed bumps 15 meters in advance and achieve millisecond-level damping adjustment as an intelligent pre-emption system.
Direction of chassis hardware technology breakthrough: X-by-wire (X/Y/Z comprehensive X-by-wire - popularization of dry EMB + mature SBW + fully active suspension proliferation)
The intelligent chassis control system is undergoing a three-level transition from a passive force structure, actuators-by-wire, to intelligent motion control with perception/decision-making/actuation. This is not only reflected in the overall chassis control architecture, but also in the technical sub-trends of powertrain/suspension/steering/braking/body and other systems:
1.The braking system has been dominated by EHB One-Box, and the first year of EMB mass production has arrived
The braking system with EHB One-Box has seen mass production, with a response time of 150ms, and it supports high-end energy recovery. The main products include: Bosch IPB, Continental MKC1, Bethel WCBS, etc.; EMB changes braking from pressure transmission in the hydraulic era to battery-electric control output of motor + reduction mechanism. With the implementation of GB 21670-2025 (implemented on January 1, 2026), Li L9 Livis and Chery EXEED EX7 delivered vehicle models with EMB in 2026. The technical indicators include: response time <80ms; 100-0km/h shortened by about 4.8m; dry type without brake fluid, etc.
2.Steering system: mass production was attained and gradually localized in 2025-2026, SBW spread to RMB300,000-400,000 vehicles (not just flagship vehicles)
Policy support: The new version of the "Basic Requirements for Automotive Steering System" was released in 2025 as a national standard, which deleted the mandatory requirement that the steering wheel and the steering wheel must be mechanically connected. It will be officially implemented in July 2026, clearing regulatory obstacles for large-scale commercialization of SBW.
Steer-by-wire completely cancels the mechanical hard connection between the steering wheel and the wheels, transmits control instructions through electrical signals, has a response speed of up to milliseconds, and supports variable steering ratios, becoming an indispensable foundation for high-level autonomous driving above L3.
ZF: It has completed the domestic mass production and delivery of the first SBW for NIO ET9, and entered the European market through cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. The SBW production capacity of Zhangjiagang Park has been increased to 380,000 units/year, and it is planned to achieve the official SOP in Q1 2026;
Bosch: The next-generation steer-by-wire system has been installed in vehicle models such as XPeng GX, and the current production capacity can meet the needs of customers in the Chinese market;
Nexteer: The first SBW mass production happened in 2026. Nexteer is the exclusive SBW supplier for Tesla Robotaxi. It also provides steer-by-wire technology for Li L9 and has been designated by 6 vehicle models for SBW (including RWS and RWA), including the North American L4 RoboX;
Zhejiang Shibao: The first SBW mass production project is expected to start in the second half of 2026, and has been designated by many leading OEMs such as Chery, Geely, NIO, and Li Auto. The company plans to add an annual output of 600,000 intelligent steering production lines to support future huge demand.
Bethel: It is accelerating the upgrade to the steer-by-wire system, and has entered the EMB mass production and delivery stage.
Tuopu Group: Its SBW has been designated by OEMs such as Geely and Seres.
Jingwei Hirain: SBW related products have been designated for mass production by many mainstream OEMs.
The SkyRide steer-by-wire system carried by NIO ET9 is China's first SBW system in mass production. It obtained the mass production license issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) in December 2024, and delivery officially began in the first quarter of 2025. It completely cancels the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering wheel and relies entirely on electrical signals to transmit steering commands, representing the highest level of current steering technology. NIO ET9's steer-by-wire system is supported by core hardware and software provided by ZF, including a steering wheel actuator (responsible for steering and providing ideal steering feel) and a redundant steering gear actuator, as well as corresponding control software.
3.The suspension system is upgraded to safety + motion control actuators, and the fully active suspension (hydraulic/electromagnetic) spreads to RMB250,000 vehicles
The fully active suspension is equipped with an independent power source + actuators, which actively exert force like human muscles. It predicts road conditions through sensors and actively exerts reverse force to offset bumps before the impact is transmitted to the body, truly achieving pavement without shaking the body. Fully active suspension solutions mainly include 48V integrated solutions and 800V split solutions:
48V integrated solutions: Greater emphasis is placed on vehicle body stability and daily riding comfort, with the "smooth, quiet" vibration-filtering experience highlighted. The solutions are applicable to flagship sedans and SUVs (e.g., NIO ES9) pursuing ultimate comfort.
800V split solutions: Emphasis is placed on the ability of large vehicles to stabilize the body under extreme working conditions, focusing on the upper limit of control. The solutions are suitable for full-size SUVs that pursue driving confidence and sportiness (such as Li L9 Livis).
NIO's full-domain 48V low-voltage platform aims to simplify the EEA, improve component versatility and seek long-term cost advantages; while OEMs such as Li Auto extend the high-voltage platform to the suspension, aiming to be consistent with the vehicle's 800V electrical architecture to create a synergistic effect.