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QCraft Teams Up with Chery for Autonomous Delivery Pilot in Shenzhen
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Published in Automotive and Transportation on Tuesday, November 18th 2025 at 4:35 GMT by Impacts- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
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QCraft Enters the Chinese Market with a Strategic Autonomous‑Logistics Deal with Chery
In a bold move that signals the next stage of the autonomous‑vehicle race, UK‑based startup QCraft has announced a partnership with China’s Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. The collaboration will see QCraft’s Level‑4 autonomous delivery platform embedded in Chery’s electric commercial vehicle chassis, setting the stage for a full‑scale pilot of autonomous logistics across China’s booming e‑commerce ecosystem.
Who Is QCraft?
Founded in 2016, QCraft has built its reputation on an integrated hardware‑software solution that turns ordinary electric vans into autonomous delivery machines. Its platform fuses high‑precision lidar arrays, dual‑frequency radar, camera suites and a sophisticated AI perception stack. The result is a vehicle that can navigate streets, interpret traffic rules, and perform last‑mile pickups and drop‑offs without a human driver.
QCraft has already completed more than 200,000 km of on‑road testing in the UK, covering a wide range of environments—from congested city centers to quiet suburban lanes. Its autonomous stack is built on open‑source mapping and cloud‑connected analytics, allowing rapid updates and compliance with evolving regulatory standards.
Why Chery?
Chery, founded in 1997, is one of China’s largest automotive manufacturers, known for its affordable SUVs, crossover pickups, and a growing portfolio of electric vehicles (EVs). In recent years, Chery has aggressively expanded into the EV segment, launching models such as the eQ and the C5‑EV that have gained traction in both domestic and export markets.
The partnership taps into Chery’s strategic shift toward mobility‑as‑a‑service (MaaS) and smart logistics. By integrating QCraft’s autonomous stack into its commercial chassis, Chery can rapidly offer “smart” delivery vans without the costly and time‑consuming R&D of developing its own autonomous system from scratch.
The Pilot: From Concept to Reality
The two companies will launch a joint pilot program in Shenzhen, one of China’s most technologically advanced cities and a natural testbed for autonomous logistics. The pilot will involve a fleet of 30 autonomous electric delivery vans that will be tasked with transporting parcels, food, and e‑commerce orders between distribution centers and last‑mile delivery hubs.
Key milestones for the pilot include:
| Milestone | Description |
|---|---|
| Geofence Definition | The pilot area will cover 15 km², featuring mixed traffic scenarios including heavy‑traffic roads, delivery zones, and pedestrian‑dense neighborhoods. |
| Route Planning | QCraft’s AI will create optimal delivery routes that reduce travel time by up to 30% compared with traditional delivery trucks. |
| Safety Validation | The autonomous vans will undergo rigorous safety testing, including “human‑in‑the‑loop” scenarios where a remote operator can intervene if necessary. |
| Data Exchange | Chery’s telematics system will feed real‑time vehicle telemetry back to QCraft’s cloud for continuous improvement of the perception models. |
The partnership also involves joint development of safety standards tailored to the Chinese regulatory framework. QCraft’s technology will be certified by China’s Ministry of Transport, and the partnership will work closely with local authorities to streamline regulatory approvals.
Technical Synergy
The integration process leverages QCraft’s modular hardware architecture. The vehicle’s lidar and camera modules are mounted on a detachable “sensor pod” that can be installed on Chery’s commercial chassis in just a few hours. Meanwhile, the AI perception engine runs on a robust edge computer that can process sensor data at 200 Hz, ensuring millisecond‑level responsiveness.
On the software side, QCraft’s cloud platform allows Chery to monitor fleet health, predict maintenance windows, and adjust routing strategies in real time. The platform also supports over‑the‑air (OTA) updates, which means that improvements in AI models or safety patches can be rolled out to the entire fleet within minutes.
Market Context and Future Outlook
China is the world’s largest logistics market, with e‑commerce sales expected to surpass RMB 20 trillion by 2025. Last‑mile delivery remains a major cost driver, and autonomous logistics promises to cut labor costs, reduce congestion, and lower emissions. In this environment, the QCraft‑Chery partnership is perfectly timed.
Industry analysts predict that autonomous delivery vehicles could reduce labor costs by up to 40% in the first three years of deployment. QCraft’s technology, which has already shown impressive safety records in the UK, could be a key differentiator for Chery as it competes with local rivals such as BYD, NIO, and SAIC.
The partnership will also open doors for QCraft in the broader Chinese market. By establishing a foothold in Shenzhen, the company can explore expansion into other logistics hubs such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing, and potentially partner with e‑commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com.
Statements from Leadership
QCraft CEO James Lee: “Partnering with Chery allows us to bring our autonomous logistics solution to one of the fastest‑growing markets in the world. The pilot will be a testbed for new technologies, and the lessons we learn will inform future deployments in Europe, the United States, and beyond.”
Chery CEO Liu Feng: “Autonomous logistics is a critical pillar of our next‑generation mobility strategy. With QCraft’s proven autonomous platform, we can offer our customers cutting‑edge delivery solutions that are safe, efficient, and scalable.”
Takeaway
The QCraft‑Chery partnership is a textbook example of how a specialized tech company and a large manufacturer can collaborate to accelerate the adoption of autonomous logistics. By combining QCraft’s mature autonomous stack with Chery’s extensive manufacturing capabilities and local market knowledge, the two companies are set to launch a high‑profile pilot that could redefine last‑mile delivery across China.
If the pilot meets its ambitious safety and efficiency targets, it will likely become the launching pad for a broader rollout of autonomous delivery vans, positioning both QCraft and Chery at the forefront of the next generation of logistics.
Read the Full Impacts Article at:
[ https://techbullion.com/qcraft-moves-into-autonomous-logistics-with-chery-partnership/ ]
