Mercedes-Benz plans to launch a new battery electric vehicle (BEV) model in China featuring an advanced driver-assist system (ADAS) jointly developed with Chinese AI-based autonomous driving technology firm Momenta.

Mercedes-Benz was the first international automaker to invest in Momenta, back in 2017. After years of collaboration, the German automaker plans to launch a model in China featuring an ADAS system based on Momenta’s Flywheel Big Model. The newly-developed CLA will be the first model to feature the jointly-developed ADAS system when it is launched in the fourth quarter of 2025, before the technology is rolled out across the Mercedes-Benz range as the automaker steps up its smart mobility strategy in the world’s largest vehicle market.

Momenta confirmed that the new ADAS system was “designed specifically for China’s complex traffic and road conditions, and was jointly optimized by Chinese and German engineering teams - combining the standards of Mercedes-Benz driving dynamics with Momenta’s end-to-end AI model technology.”

Drummond Jacoy, senior executive vice president of Mercedes-Benz Group China Ltd, and head of Mercedes-Benz China Research, Development and Procurement, said in a statement: “With ‘Mercedes-Benz Standards’, we continuously strengthen our in-house R&D capabilities and proactively expand in-depth cooperation with leading Chinese technology enterprises. We aim to turn cutting-edge technologies into products that fulfill the needs of Chinese customers. The new all-electric CLA is the latest example. Leveraging Momenta’s technological advantages in intelligent assisted driving, beginning with the all-new CLA, we will deliver to customers a safe, user-friendly, and more intelligent driving experience."

Momenta’s CEO, Xudong Cao, added: “Mercedes-Benz is the benchmark for luxury in the automotive industry. With the ‘Mercedes-Benz Standard’, we are integrating Mercedes-Benz’s century of engineering excellence with Momenta’s cutting-edge AI technology. The new intelligent driver assistance system on the all-new electric CLA is a testament to this deepened cooperation. Powered by Momenta’s reinforcement learning-based Flywheel Model, the system continuously evolves through data-driven intelligence to provide users with a safe, reassuring and premium mobility experience.”