Intelligent driving technology has the potential to enhance the safety and efficiency of road transportation systems, drive innovation and technological breakthroughs within the automotive industry and its upstream and downstream supply chain ecosystems, and serve as a critical area of competition among leading industrial nations. After decades of development and with continuous advancements driven by the Internet and artificial intelligence technologies, intelligent driving technology is approaching the threshold of large-scale commercial application. This paper provides a systematic review of the development trajectory of intelligent driving technology, summarizes the current state of technological progress in hardware support systems, software functionality systems, and “end-to-end” autonomous driving systems, analyzes key technical issues and challenges faced by various functional modules, and offers insights into future development trends. The findings aim to provide scientific guidance and strategic recommendations for the further development and application of advanced autonomous driving technologies in China.

The unique structure and innovative drive mode of distributed electric drive vehicles can significantly enhance overall vehicle performance, making them a crucial direction for the future development of electric vehicles. The application of distributed electric drive vehicles has greatly promoted technological innovations in high-performance vehicles. It not only improves energy efficiency, driving safety, and maneuverability but also provides new solutions for specialized applications such as the road transportation of oversized and heavy-haul cargo. This paper reviews the century-long evolution of vehicle configurations and highlights the inevitability of the development of distributed electric drive architectures in the context of vehicle electrification and intelligence, as well as the profound transformations they bring to the automotive industry. The paper conducts a comprehensive analysis of the core technologies of distributed electric drive vehicles worldwide, identifying key challenges in their current development. Finally, the paper presents an outlook on the field, proposing future development goals and technological transformation directions for distributed electric drive vehicles, with the aim of providing scientific insights and strategic recommendations for advancing research and application in China.