In-Depth: Huawei Aims to Pull Ahead of Tesla in Autonomous Driving Race

Capturing the self-driving car market will require deep pockets and an immense pool of talent, with the competition likely to come down to two corporate giants

The race to be first to develop a self-driving car and corner a potentially vast market is heating up and the starting grid is getting busy.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. entered the contest when it announced in November a new venture focusing on intelligent car systems and components. The telecom equipment giant, which recently launched a luxury electric SUV, aims to be a world-class intelligent driving leader.

Meanwhile, dozens of local and global carmakers, startups and tech giants are developing and testing autonomous vehicles in the world’s largest auto market, including market leader Tesla Inc.

Autonomous driving technology first went on public display in March 2004, in a $1 million challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense’s research arm, DARPA. Fifteen robotic vehicles lined up to cross 142 miles of treacherous Californian terrain within 10 hours, but despite heroic efforts — and after some dramatic crashes — none lasted the course.