After 2 million units, zejing electronics aims to bring "china hud" to the world

The 2025 IAA Mobility, Germany's International Motor Show, will be held in Munich in September. In this international event, Chinese exhibitors are gradually transforming from "participants" to "leaders."

Jiangsu Zejing Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zejing Electronics) is an outstanding representative among Chinese exhibitors. At IAA Mobility 2025, Zejing Electronics will showcase several newly developed HUD (Head-Up Display) products, drawing industry attention with their precise optical imaging, smooth interactive experience, and high adaptability to vehicle models.

As a leading company in the domestic HUD market, Zijing Electronics is leveraging its solid technical foundation and clear strategic planning to expand from China to the global stage. Amidst the rapid evolution of visual interaction technology in smart cars, Zijing Electronics has not only emerged prominently in the domestic market, breaking the long-standing monopoly of foreign brands, but has also set its sights firmly on the European, Southeast Asian, and global markets, showcasing the strong capabilities and long-term vision of Chinese automotive electronics suppliers.

From mass production of 2 million units to full-sequence HUD deployment

Since its establishment in 2015, Zejing Electronics has consistently focused on the research and industrialization of in-car visual solutions, concentrating on technological breakthroughs and practical applications of HUD products. After nearly a decade of dedicated effort, the company's total HUD shipments have successfully exceeded 2 million units. This milestone achievement not only signifies the maturity of Zejing Electronics' large-scale production capabilities but also indicates that "Chinese HUD" products have gained wide market recognition.

Image source: Zejing Electronics

In terms of market share, in 2024, Zejing Electronics ranks as the second largest supplier of automotive HUD solutions in China with a market share of 16.2%. It is also the only company in the Chinese market that ranks among the top three in sales of HUD, W-HUD, and high-performance AR-HUD solutions in 2024.

Behind this achievement is the company's consistently high R&D investment. According to the financial report data of Zejing Electronics, the company's R&D expenses reached 62.1 million yuan that year, accounting for 10.7% of its operating income, significantly higher than the industry average of 8.5%. The substantial R&D investment has provided a solid foundation for technological iteration and product innovation, enabling it to maintain a technological lead in market competition.

In the wave of innovation in smart cockpits, the in-car HUD has gradually shifted from an "optional configuration" to a "necessity configuration" as a core interactive component. Zejing Electronics has seized this trend and broken the monopoly of foreign brands in the HUD market through breakthroughs in core technology.

In 2018, the WHUD system custom-developed by Zejing Electronics for the NIO ES8 model achieved mass production. This product is not only the first local HUD solution installed on a high-end pure electric vehicle in China but also reaches an international advanced level in optical imaging precision, display content richness, and driving safety adaptability, marking a technological breakthrough for Chinese companies in the automotive optics field.

Today, Zejing Electronics has established a full-sequence HUD product layout covering "basic models - advanced models - flagship models - forward-looking models," forming a clear technological rhythm of "one generation in production, one generation in development, and one generation in pre-research," which can meet the needs of different vehicle levels and various levels of assisted driving.

Since its mass production began in 2020, HUD 2.0, as the company's classic mass-produced product, has delivered over 500,000 units.Successfully equipped on various main models of brands such as Changan and Geely.Not only has it helped the company accumulate extensive mass production experience, but it has also established its solid position in the HUD market.

HUD 3.0 will achieve a production boom in 2024, with a monthly output exceeding 10,000 units. This product supports L3-level assisted driving functions, capable of displaying key driving information in real-time such as lane lines, navigation paths, and distance to the vehicle ahead.Currently equipped in popular models such as the Li Auto L7 and Deep Blue S7.

HUD 4.0 further introduces cutting-edge technologies such as Local Dimming, which can automatically adjust display brightness and contrast according to the intensity of external light. This ensures clear imaging effects even in complex environments like strong light or nighttime, providing users with an unprecedented visual experience. It not only significantly enhances driving safety but also redefines the standards of interactive experiences in smart cockpits.

The core force supporting the rapid iteration of Zejing Electronics' products is its strong R&D team and solid technological reserves. According to the latest information disclosed by the company, the R&D personnel at Zejing Electronics account for more than one-third of the total number of employees. Among them, the core team consists of senior R&D engineers with over 10 years of industry experience, and a complete talent ladder of "high-end leadership, mid-level support, and grassroots execution" has been formed.

As of the end of 2024, Zejing Electronics ranks first among domestic suppliers in the number of authorized HUD invention patents. Meanwhile, as a core drafting unit, the company has been involved in the formulation of several national HUD standards, such as the "Performance Requirements and Test Methods for In-Vehicle Head-Up Display Systems," playing a significant role in establishing industry technical specifications and demonstrating its position as a leader in industry technology.

Anchor high-end brands and build a premium customer matrix.

In the automotive industry, "customer quality" is often a direct reflection of a company's technical strength and product reliability. Zejing Electronics' client list includes several representative and influential brands in China's smart electric vehicle sector.

NIO ES8 is equipped with Zvision Electronics HUD 4.0, image source: NIO live stream.

In the emerging car companies, several representative models under these companies are supported by Zejing Electronics' technology. For example, Zejing Electronics is the core HUD supplier for brands like Xiaomi's first mass-produced model, the Xiaomi SU7, the Li Auto L7 which has accumulated sales of over 150,000 units in 2024, and NIO's new ES8/ET5.

For traditional independent brands, several main models of Changan Qiyuan, Hongqi, and GAC Aion are equipped with Zejing Electronics' HUD products. Additionally, new mainstream brands such as DeepBlue and Zeekr also maintain a deep cooperation with Zejing Electronics.

From the perspective of customer structure, Zejing Electronics has achieved comprehensive coverage of "new forces + traditional independent brands + joint venture brands," especially in the large-scale application of high-end models, which validates its product reliability, technological leadership, and brand recognition.

It should be noted that in collaboration with clients, Zejing Electronics is not merely a "hardware supplier," but emphasizes "co-creation and win-win" with clients. By deeply engaging in the client's vehicle model development process, they provide customized visual interaction solutions for different car manufacturers.

Specifically, in the early stages of vehicle model development, the R&D team at Zejing Electronics collaborates with the customer's cockpit design and driver assistance teams to jointly tackle challenges. Based on the cockpit spatial layout, target user group needs, and driver assistance function planning of the vehicle model, they tailor the HUD's optical parameters, display interface, and interaction logic.

This "customized co-creation" model not only makes Zejing Electronics' products more aligned with customer needs but also helps it establish deep long-term cooperative relationships with clients. The cooperation period between Zejing Electronics and core customers such as NIO and Li Auto extends up to five years, with the scope of cooperation expanding from a single vehicle model to almost the entire brand range.

The strong customer quality and deep cooperative relationships have laid a solid foundation for Zejing Electronics' overseas strategy. Companies represented by Zejing Electronics have already acquired the technical strength and mass production experience to compete with international brands. Information shows that Zejing has passed the quality certification of several overseas OEMs, and some overseas OEMs have already adopted Zejing Electronics' HUD products. These cooperative experiences are becoming Zejing Electronics' "passport" to enter the European local market.

Global supply chain + localized R&D service team, initiating a new stage of going abroad.

In the context of the globalization of the automotive industry, "overseas expansion" has become a key path for automotive supply chain companies to achieve large-scale growth.

Industry data shows that in major automotive industry powerhouses such as the United States, Germany, and Japan, there has been a trend of supply chain companies "following automakers overseas" after the domestic automobile export volume reached 5 million units. By establishing production bases and R&D centers overseas, they achieve "localized supply and localized service," thereby attaining balanced development between domestic and international markets. This has become the new normal for industry growth.

"Any company aspiring to become a world-class automotive supply chain enterprise must go global," said Zhang Tao, Chairman of Zejing Electronics. His assessment is being translated into a solid global strategy. This strategy aligns with the industrial spillover trend following China's automotive exports surpassing 5 million vehicles and precisely positions itself for the boom period of the global HUD market.

According to the market research data on the automotive HUD market by Bezze Consulting, the global automotive HUD market size reached 14.168 billion RMB in 2024, with the Chinese automotive HUD market size reaching 3.79 billion RMB. Regarding the development trend of the automotive HUD market in the forecast period, it is expected that the global automotive HUD market capacity will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25.31%, reaching 54.85 billion RMB by 2030.

Zejing Electronics has long surpassed the positioning of a "local enterprise" and has initially established a global layout rooted in China and extending to Eurasia. Domestically, it has set up an operational network in five major regions: Yizheng (headquarters and manufacturing), Xi'an (R&D), Shanghai (management and customer support), Changchun, and Chongqing.

The headquarters and manufacturing base located in Yizheng, Jiangsu, serves as the company's core production hub, equipped with intelligent production lines and an annual capacity of 900,000 units, able to meet the supply needs of major domestic clients. The R&D center in Xi'an focuses on core technology research such as optical design and software algorithms, leveraging the resources of local universities to continuously attract high-end technical talent. The management and customer support center in Shanghai is responsible for overall strategic planning and clients in the Yangtze River Delta. Additionally, the company has established regional offices in Changchun and Chongqing, achieving coverage of the major domestic automotive industry clusters.

In terms of internationalization, Zejing Electronics is establishing a localized R&D and service team in Germany to closely connect with European automotive customers for technical customization and service response. At the same time, it will build an overseas manufacturing base in Europe to achieve localized supply capabilities, circumvent trade barriers, and improve delivery efficiency.

The "European R&D + European Manufacturing" dual-track model demonstrates Zejing Electronics' systematic approach and determination in expanding overseas. It is not merely about exporting but deeply localized operations, collaborating with the European supply chain, and truly integrating into the global automotive industry ecosystem.

Zejing Electronics' expansion overseas is not merely a replication of production capacity but a dual output of technical standards and localized services. Relying on its independently owned intellectual property AR-HUD technology, the company is transitioning from a product supplier to an "optical solutions service provider." In the future, with the implementation of the "next-generation dual optical path" AR-HUD and "waveguide" technology engineering, the company is expected to gain more influence in the key interaction areas of assisted driving.

Legendary Summary

Starting with a milestone of mass-producing 2 million sets of HUDs, Zejing Electronics has broken the foreign monopoly and secured the top position in the domestic independent brand market through its full product lineup, high R&D investment, and a high-quality customer matrix. Its "customized co-creation" model deeply ties with new forces and traditional car manufacturers, laying a solid foundation for international expansion.

Riding the wave of growth in the global HUD market, Zejing Electronics is no longer just exporting products. Instead, through its German R&D center to meet demand and its European manufacturing base for localized production, it is building a "European R&D and Production" system. This Chinese company is evolving from a regional supplier to a key player in global in-vehicle visual solutions.