Mercedes, Momenta tie up to develop driver-assist system for China

German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz has partnered with Momenta to develop a driver assistance system tailored for China, becoming the latest automaker after BMW and Audi to leverage technology from the Chinese startup.

The two companies jointly announced today that they will co-develop a smart driving assistance system based on Momenta's Flywheel large language AI model.

The system will debut this fall on the domestically produced all-electric CLA model, offering driving assistance on highways, urban roads, and parking lots.

Future Mercedes-Benz models will also incorporate this system.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Suzhou near Shanghai, Momenta was co-founded by Ren Shaoqing, who joined Nio in August 2020 to lead intelligent driving R&D.

Momenta's business spans China and international markets including Germany, Japan, and the US. It has secured strategic investments from SAIC Motor Corp (SHA: 600104), General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Bosch, according to its website.

In early 2017, less than six months after its founding, Momenta secured its Series B funding with participation from Daimler AG -- the then parent company of Mercedes-Benz -- making it the first international automaker to invest in Momenta.

Reports last June indicated Mercedes-Benz would adopt Momenta's smart driving solutions, with its all-electric CLA model set to feature the company's advanced driving assistance system that operates without relying on high-definition maps.

The latest collaboration means Momenta now serves all three members of the BBA trio --BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi.

BMW and Momenta announced in July their partnership to develop smart driving solutions for multiple models, including new-generation domestically produced vehicles.

On September 16, the new AUDI brand launched jointly by Audi and SAIC launched its first mass-produced model, the E5 Sportback, utilizing Momenta's End-to-end Big Model (EBM) assisted driving solution.

"Leveraging Momenta’s technological advantages in intelligent assisted driving, beginning with the all-new CLA, we will deliver to customers a safe and user-friendly, more intelligent driving experience," said Drummond Jacoy, senior executive vice-president at Mercedes-Benz China.