Wait, The Germans Have FSD? Momenta Is In VW, BMW, Mercedes & More In China! My First Experience

TL;DR

Momenta's AI driving system in the Volkswagen ID Era 9X delivers Tesla FSD-level point-to-point autonomous driving in China, far surpassing what German brands offer in the West.

Key Points

• 1.German automakers use Momenta as their local AI driving partner in China. BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen Group rely on Momenta for full point-to-point driver assistance in China because their Western systems only do basic highway lane centering.
• 2.Momenta's system is essentially FSD-level capable. It handles red lights, U-turns, tight city intersections, lane changes with signaling, scooter avoidance, and toll booths with no driver input required.
• 3.The test vehicle was the brand-new Volkswagen ID Era 9X. A range-extended, 500-horsepower, three-row SUV with rear steering, crab walk, and quarterly OTA updates — it launched sales the day of filming and received 10,000 orders within hours.
• 4.The sensor suite includes lidar, radar, ultrasonics, and cameras. A 120-line lidar sits on the roof, giving the system full environmental awareness; the host noted previous Luminar lidar units on Volvo EX90 could damage cameras.
• 5.Momenta's character is distinctly assertive compared to competitors. The reviewer compared it favorably to Xpeng VALA 2.0 (more relaxed) and Huawei ADS (aggressive but less decisive), calling Momenta the most confidently aggressive system tested on the trip.
• 6.The system found its limit only once in dense pedestrian chaos. In an extremely complex intersection with cyclists, scooters, and pedestrians mid-road, it prompted the driver to take over — but re-engaged immediately after the situation cleared.
• 7.Western Nvidia-based Mercedes ADAS tested in the US was a major disappointment by comparison. The reviewer explicitly said the US Mercedes Nvidia implementation was 'nowhere near this level of capability, refinement, or feature set.'
• 8.Volkswagen confirmed plans to bring Chinese technologies to global models. A Volkswagen engineer on camera stated the technologies — including rear steering and advanced ADAS — are intended for future global Volkswagen vehicles, alongside a separate Horizon collaboration.
• 9.The reviewer called this one of the most impressive point-to-point drives ever experienced. He urged Volkswagen's Wolfsburg management to drive the car, saying it could 'shake up the entire Volkswagen Group and perhaps the whole Western world.'