WeRide and Bosch Make Breakthrough With One Stage End-To-End ADAS

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Chinese autonomous driving giant WeRide has achieved a groundbreaking advancement in ADAS technology in a joint venture with tech firm Bosch.

A Globe Newswire press release declared how its "one-stage end-to-end ADAS solution, jointly developed with Tier 1 supplier Bosch, has officially achieved SOP (start of production) status."

Boasting only a seven-month turnaround, WeRide's new venture broke industry records, according to the post. The new WePilot AiDrive 3.0 will build on previous developments in "one-stage end-to-end large model architecture, system-level integration, and software-hardware collaboration."

Of course, this will have many implications, says the release: not least vehicles' ability to "see and act…while supporting high-, mid-, and low-compute platforms." Moreover, multimodal sensor fusion and pure vision perception will give drivers and passengers greater confidence in pedestrian and other traffic scenarios.

Furthermore, an OurAutoWorld post states that a WeRide spokesperson claims WePilot AiDrive is "designed for universal application."

Naturally, critics will need to see the claim's performance verified in practice before reaching any conclusions. Nonetheless, having possibly the first one-stage end-to-end ADAS in mass production is a significant moment for the ADAS calibration world.

There have been mostly positive reactions from the ADAS calibration industry. Auto platform Gasgoo already shared earlier in 2025 how WeRide's new jewel in the automated driving crown had already passed functionality testing.

Moreover, this move was "a step toward broader, smarter, and more efficient deployment of advanced driver-assistance technologies worldwide."

It makes sense to understand the difference between the two ADAS formats. Effectively, end-to-end systems aim to unify raw sensor mapping to control outputs, using AI and deep learning. Meanwhile, the more traditional modular design uses separate planning, perception, and control modules in its functions.

Primarily, the modular system is ubiquitous because of safety frameworks consistent with its operation. One example of these is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) framework, titled "Functional Safety — Road Vehicles."

Better known as ISO 26262, it concerns "possible hazards caused by malfunctioning behaviour of E/E safety-related systems," according to the ISO organization's guide.

It means that in the event of a failure or accident, technicians can isolate each function, which can be measured and assigned appropriately. It’s a model that’s harder to apply to unified, AI-driven architectures.

Right now, this could be a stumbling block to the uniformity of end-to-end systems in regulation-heavy America.

A recent journal entry for Autonomous Intelligent Systems by Angelo Morgado et al. highlights the main differences between the two advanced driver systems. Notably, it presents interesting questions on end-to-end scalability.

Good news for modular ADAS calibration technicians: modular systems are here to stay, for the time being. The paper highlights how "challenges remain in generalization and computational demands, with end-to-end systems requiring extensive training time."

Indeed, the study sheds light on the potential of end-to-end architectures. Yet, the message is also that "modular systems may currently be more feasible for practical ADS deployment."

Regardless, WeRide's one-stage end-to-end ADAS could be a Sliding Doors moment for how the ADAS calibration industry adapts. For instance, instead of certifying individual code modules, engineers must now validate the entire AI-driven stack and prove that redundant safety mechanisms can contain it.

“We’re watching a turning point in the ADAS industry,” said John Voulgarakis, co-founder of Lightning Auto Service. “End-to-end systems like WeRide’s could redefine how calibration technicians approach diagnostics. Instead of isolating faults in separate modules, we’ll be validating entire AI-driven ecosystems — and that’s going to demand new tools, training, and safety standards across the board.”

While some may think of one-stage end-to-end architecture as like AI on autopilot, in reality, WeRide's new system is more like AI wearing a safety harness. Yet, it will likely be running most ADAS systems untethered one day, as alignment with universal safety standards could be in place by then.

The modular system may be more in place right now, but according to many sources, there is work to do.

"Despite becoming standard in nearly all modern vehicles, ADAS technologies are frequently left misaligned," reads a recent white paper from Ascential Technologies. The study makes the case for more standardized procedures, which would mitigate safety concerns while saving all parties involved money.

Should such regulations be embedded in the ADAS calibration methodology, implementing more end-to-end technology might be challenging. At the moment, the calibration world lacks a global standard outside of Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classifications and ISO frameworks.

At present, it remains to be seen exactly where the calibration market is headed, though expert website ADAS Depot explains why post-crash scenarios are key to its issues. "To this day, there is no nationally recognized training program, certification standard, or universal reporting guidelines governing this critical safety work," reads one article.

These words come under the title: "The Wild West of ADAS Calibration."

If the ADAS calibration community unifies its post-accident procedures, it will benefit the industry as a whole. The ADAS Depot post summarizes five different areas where calibration specialists are not operating collectively. These five missing standards are as follows:

• OEM position statements and documentation;
• Diagnostic scans;
• ADAS calibration identification software;
• Visual inspection;
• Technical support consultation.

If a car's ADAS calibration in Florida doesn't receive the same treatment in California, surely end-to-end architecture will transform this outcome.

Anyone with their finger on the pulse of the automotive technology world will understand how a light breeze eventually becomes a storm. Earlier this year, adding to a growing wind, Volkswagen took its own giant leap toward automated driving.

This time, it was CARIZON, reported Emobility Plus, "a joint venture between Volkswagen's software subsidiary CARIAD and Chinese AI leader Horizon Robotics." What's more, the venture took place entirely in China and is aimed solely at the Chinese market.

It would appear that if any country is to become the world's first fully self-driving nation, it will be the East Asian superpower. "This milestone reflects the German auto giant's unwavering commitment to its 'In China, for China' strategy," reads the post.

However, none of these Chinese developments needs to cause ADAS calibration specialists in the United States to lose sleep. If anything, the role of ADAS technicians is more likely to evolve than disappear or fade away. America's ADAS calibration industry may yet seek a unified solution to standardized needs, ushering modular architecture into a new era.