A Leapmotor C10 in Germany abruptly braked on the Autobahn due to its driver-assistance system. Martin Resch, Leapmotor’s Germany head, reported the issue to engineers in Hangzhou, and a software update was sent before his meeting—something that would take weeks at a European automaker. Executives call this “China Speed,” now a global benchmark. The auto industry, long measured by German engineering, Detroit scale, or Japanese reliability, is now challenged by rapid development cycles, software-

A Leapmotor C10 in Germany abruptly braked on the Autobahn due to its driver-assistance system. Martin Resch, Leapmotor’s Germany head, reported the issue to engineers in Hangzhou, and a software update was sent before his meeting—something that would take weeks at a European automaker. Executives call this “China Speed,” now a global benchmark. The auto industry, long measured by German engineering, Detroit scale, or Japanese reliability, is now challenged by rapid development cycles, software-first design, and cost efficiency driven by China’s EV boom.