By Peipei Zhao, President of North America at RoboSense (2498.HK)
My own journey mirrors the one our industry is now taking. I studied at Hefei University of Technology before moving to Detroit, where I have spent much of my career helping Chinese and American companies navigate each other’s markets. This November, I return to Hefei to speak at AutoSens China 2025—closing a personal and professional circle and continuing a conversation that began in Detroit earlier this year.
Lessons from Detroit
At AutoSens USA in June, my talk—China at Scale, U.S. in Transition—highlighted two playbooks unfolding in parallel:
China’s model: rapid iteration, consumer visibility, and deployment at scale.
U.S. model: rigorous validation, system-level safety, and careful engineering trade-offs.
The message resonated: both approaches have value, and the future depends on learning from each other. China shows what speed and scale can achieve. The U.S. underscores the importance of trust, discipline, and regulatory assurance.
The Next Chapter: AutoSens China
In Hefei, my session—Going Global: What It Takes for China’s Sensor Companies to Succeed Overseas—will extend that discussion from comparison to collaboration. As Chinese sensor companies expand globally, they must address four challenges that go beyond cost or specifications:
System validation – Surviving full OEM and Tier 1 test cycles.
Compliance readiness – Treating safety, cybersecurity, and repairability as product features.
Cultural alignment – Reconciling China’s speed of iteration with Western process rigor.
Go-to-market trust – Building confidence through local engineering support, transparent roadmaps, and credible service.
At the same time, global OEMs and Tier 1s who engage effectively with these suppliers will unlock access to both innovation and dependability—a combination critical to safe deployment at scale.
Why This Matters
LiDAR is no longer experimental—it is a core enabler of ADAS and autonomy, especially in conditions where cameras or radar may fall short. The decisions we make today on validation, supply chains, and cross-border collaboration will determine the trajectory of this technology worldwide.
Looking Ahead
From Hefei to Detroit, and back again, the lesson is clear: scale and trust are not opposites but complements. My goal is to share candid insights from launching the first U.S. LiDAR consumer program and building cross-border partnerships, so we can chart a path where LiDAR adoption is both rapid and reliable.
I look forward to continuing this dialogue with the AutoSens community in Hefei—and to exploring how our industry can move forward together, bridging trust and scale across markets.
About Peipei Zhao
Peipei Zhao is the President of North America at RoboSense (2498.HK), driving the company’s growth across the region. With over 15 years of experience in global technology, he has led the international expansion of Chinese enterprises and supported U.S. and EU companies in China. Zhao spearheaded the initial adoption of LiDAR in U.S. consumer vehicles and pioneered the Dual Mentor mechanism to enhance employee retention and motivation.
He previously held leadership roles at Ericsson, Flex, Valeo, and Changan Automobile. Zhao holds a master’s degree in economics from Michigan Tech and a bachelor’s degree in management science from Hefei University of Technology. He was recognized as a Champion of Diversity by Automotive News for advancing innovation and inclusivity.
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