Omov, the autonomous-driving and mobility group spun out of Continental, is rewriting how a global Tier 1 serves China. In early 2026 it formed a China management committee that gave the local team real authority over supply, manufacturing, product development and partner choice, with full profit and loss responsibility for the China business.
From global import to local decisions
The shift is a response to what the company calls China speed: consumers adopt new features fast, product-to-volume cycles are short, and a competitive local supply chain keeps pushing costs down. Omov’s China lead Ahmed Irathni says the local mindset fixes the most urgent obstacle first, then solves the next ones in motion, rather than waiting for a perfect end-to-end plan.
The result shows in the product mix. The seventh-generation radar, a single-radar AEB scheme and a satellite camera were all developed in China. External components for the seventh-generation radar now come entirely from Chinese suppliers, closing a local loop of R&D, manufacturing and procurement that shortens response time and cuts cross-region coordination.
Cycle time tells the story. Under the old global process a project took 18 to 24 months. A leaner local process now lands many programmes in six to 12 months, with some specific projects under six. The catch is that speed trims redundant steps and cross-border decisions, not engineering validation or quality bars.
Cost reduction without a price war
China carmakers want advanced driver assistance to move from premium models into mainstream ones, but a low purchase price is not the same as low cost. If a part fails in the field, warranty and recall spend can exceed what was saved at the quoting stage.
Omov’s answer is to change how a function is built. Its single-radar AEB uses one millimetre-wave radar instead of a smart camera or a camera plus front radar, at about a third of the smart-camera cost. In parking, it explores replacing ultrasonic sensors with higher-resolution radar, which could remove 10 to 12 ultrasonic units per vehicle. Fewer sensors mean lower device cost plus simpler wiring and integration.
The company has shipped more than 200 million radar units to date, and Irathni sums up its edge as reliable, deep-rooted and global.
From parts to system capability
As advanced driver assistance grows, the supplier’s job moves from shipping components to managing system complexity. Omov now also builds full driving systems, fusing radar and camera inside domain controllers for driving and parking. It can act as a Tier 2 selling radars and cameras, or as a Tier 1 delivering a system to the carmaker.
In heavy autonomous segments it partners rather than competes on software: a joint venture with Horizon Robotics, a tie-up with Aurora on autonomous trucks, and sensor work with Nvidia and Qualcomm platforms on robotaxi. The line it will not cross is building algorithms itself.
Where a global Tier 1 earns its keep
The third pillar is global reach. Irathni notes that buyers in maturing markets stay cautious about handing over driving, road rules and signage differ by region, and data and compliance regimes vary. New rules, such as requirements that subsidised electric vehicles clear local-content thresholds on non-battery parts, turn local production and supply know-how into a selling point.
Omov runs manufacturing and service networks across regions and can support Chinese carmakers entering overseas markets with local production, validation and after-sales. It has already announced a global strategic partnership with Leapmotor. The bet is that China speed, converted into global delivery, redefines what an international Tier 1 is worth.
More from the original report
Editor’s note: This is an adapted translation of the original CheDongXi report. It has been trimmed and restructured for readability for an international business audience. The full original (in Chinese) is at https://chedongxi.com/p/375368.html.