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Published on Oct. 07, 2026

Momenta, the Chinese developer of driver-assistance and autonomous driving software, is making a move to expand globally. On September 24, 2026, the Suzhou-based company signed a strategic agreement with the relatively young joint venture between Stellantis and the Chinese carmaker Dongfeng in Wuhan, the Chinese business paper 21 Shiji Jingji Baodao reported (in Chinese).

This means that a leading Chinese supplier of driver-assistance technology is actively planning global vehicle design with two well-known Western brands. On September 24, Momenta inked a strategic deal with Dongfeng Stellantis Automotive Technology (Wuhan), also known as Shenlong Technology in Chinese media.

The collaboration aims to integrate Momenta’s system into new Peugeot and Jeep models for China, Europe, and other regions. The partners plan to bring the first electric and plug-in hybrid models to market from 2027.

Far from being a traditional supplier contract, the agreement gives Momenta a role while the cars are still being defined. Its engineers will contribute to product requirements and work through the development process.

The partners intend to tailor the technology to each brand, with off-road use a priority for Jeep and handling for Peugeot. They announced that they will jointly develop an advanced driver-assistance system based on Momenta’s R7 world model for new Peugeot and Jeep production models in China, Europe and other markets.

Momenta was founded in 2016 by a former Microsoft researcher. It quickly became a household name especially among German luxury carmakers. Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz work with Momenta, albeit so far only for the Chinese market.

Now, the French are taking Momenta by the hand during its global expansion. Both hope to combine their strengths. Momenta contributes its powerful AI model and development experience.

Equally important, though, it is a battle-tested Chinese company that has proven itself in the highly competitive Chinese market. Stellantis hopes to export some of this “China speed” and development expertise together with its cars produced in China.

Shenlong(DSAT), the Stellantis joint venture with Dongfeng, brings knowledge of how customers use the cars, French chassis tuning and American off-road experience. Jeep’s system will emphasize off-road scenarios, while Peugeot’s will put greater weight on handling.

A shared software foundation therefore will not necessarily produce very similar cars. The brands still have to turn it into features their respective customers value.

Once the models take shape, they will have to clear regulatory hurdles, which are particularly steep in Europe. There is UN R171’s requirement that drivers retain control when using the assistance systems it governs. Momenta received a German Level 4 test permit in July 2026, but that is still far from any commercial approval.

Looking at the existing challenges, for both companies this partnership is a courageous bet on the future growth of assisted driving worldwide. “I just came back from Europe last week. Ordinary users there may still need some time to accept intelligent features, but this wave cannot be stopped. It will come very, very fast. China’s path has already proven that,” Lü Haitao, general manager of Shenlong Technology, told 21 Shiji Jingji Baodao.

“China is about four years ahead of the world in vehicle intelligence. The inflection point for urban NOA (navigation on autopilot in cities) in China was probably 2024, and we expect the global inflection point in 2028,” Cao Xudong, Momenta’s chief executive, said.