China Passenger Car Electronic Control Suspension Industry Research Report 2025
From Single-Chamber to Dual-Chamber Air Springs and From Single-Valve to Dual-Valve CDC
The “China Passenger Car Electronic Control Suspension Industry Research Report, 2025”, recently released on ResearchAndMarkets.com, provides a detailed overview of the latest technological advancements, installation volumes, and industry trends shaping electronic control suspension (ECS) in China’s passenger car market. The report highlights how air springs are evolving from single-chamber to dual-chamber designs, and how Continuously Damping Control (CDC) shock absorbers are transitioning from single-valve to dual-valve systems—developments that mark a significant leap in both handling performance and driving comfort.
Rising Adoption of Electronic Control Suspension
Since 2023, China’s passenger car market has witnessed a rapid uptake of electronic control suspension systems. In 2024, more than 800,000 vehicles were equipped with air suspension, representing a 38% year-on-year increase. This growing penetration is driven by multiple factors: the surge in new energy vehicle (NEV) sales, consumer demand for premium ride quality, and OEMs’ push for differentiation in increasingly competitive markets.
Beyond installation numbers, the real story lies in technological iteration. Several important breakthroughs in 2024 reshaped the ECS landscape, including:
- Dual-chamber air springs that decouple stiffness from ride height control.
- Linear motor-based electronic shock absorbers, replacing traditional hydraulic models.
- Fully active hydraulic electronic dampers, offering unprecedented responsiveness.
- The first domestic mass-production of dual-chamber dual-valve suspension systems, combining the best of both air spring and CDC evolution.
Air Spring Evolution: From Single to Dual Chambers
Traditional single-chamber air springs combine vehicle height adjustment with stiffness control. This coupling often limits optimization—when one parameter is adjusted, the other is affected.
The new dual-chamber air spring design separates functions into a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber, with solenoid valves managing airflow between them. This decoupling enables independent control of ride height and stiffness, allowing engineers to strike a more precise balance between comfort and handling.
This advancement is particularly well-suited to new energy vehicles (NEVs), where manufacturers face higher expectations for both dynamic stability and passenger comfort. In 2024, models like the Xpeng G9, Xpeng X9, and Li Auto L9 all adopted dual-chamber air springs, cementing the trend as a new standard for high-end NEVs.
Dual-Valve CDC: Sharper Control, Faster Response
CDC (Continuously Damping Control) technology has long been a cornerstone of semi-active suspension systems. The traditional single-valve CDC design controls oil flow during both compression and rebound with one solenoid valve. However, because the same valve manages both directions, adjustments in compression inevitably influence rebound damping and vice versa, limiting refinement.
The dual-valve CDC shock absorber addresses this by separating control into two solenoid valves—one for compression and one for rebound. This separation allows:
- Faster response times
- Independent tuning of damping forces
- A broader adjustment range
For example, the updated Li Auto L9 uses this technology in tandem with dual-chamber air springs. Compared to its 2024 predecessor, the new suspension system delivers measurable improvements:
- 12% reduction in braking dive and head lift
- 24% reduction in cornering roll
- 19.5% reduction in body oscillations on uneven terrain
The Li L9 thus became the first mass-produced Chinese model to feature dual-valve CDC + dual-chamber air springs, setting a benchmark for integrated ECS solutions.
Xiaomi’s Intelligent Chassis Pre-research Technology, unveiled in late 2024, also adopted this combination for its fully active suspension system. Xiaomi claims that its system achieves a maximum lifting force of over 44,400N, an adjustment range up to 140mm, and an adjustment speed 100 times faster than conventional air springs.
The Rise of Fully Active Suspension
While semi-active suspensions like dual-valve CDC and dual-chamber air springs mark significant improvements, fully active suspension systems are redefining what’s possible in vehicle dynamics.
Hydraulic Fully Active Systems
Traditional fully active setups, such as Porsche’s Active Ride (PAR), use hydraulic systems paired with air springs. PAR integrates dual hydraulic pumps with control units and reduction gears, enabling independent control of each wheel’s shock absorber.
China’s NIO ET9, launched in December 2024, introduced a domestically co-developed fully active suspension with Clearmotion. Each damper integrates a dedicated electric hydraulic pump and a brushless DC motor, delivering outstanding stability across diverse driving scenarios:
- Maintains a level body posture during acceleration and braking between 80–120 km/h.
- Suppresses oscillations over asymmetric undulating roads at 60 km/h.
- Handles 30cm elevation changes at 80 km/h without destabilizing the vehicle.
- Enables precise body control at very low speeds—such as carrying a champagne tower over continuous speed bumps without spillage.
- Provides energy recovery up to 5kW by converting kinetic energy into electricity during suspension compression.
Motor-Based Fully Active Systems
BYD’s Yunnian-Z system takes a different approach by replacing hydraulic dampers with linear motors. Paired with air springs, Yunnian-Z delivers ultra-fast response and energy recovery. Performance data shows:
- 5ms execution time, 1mm body control accuracy, and 500mm/s adjustment speed.
- System peak power of 50kW across four motors.
- Dramatic reductions in pitch during acceleration/deceleration, roll during cornering, and body lift on road-bridge transitions.
- Active collision defense—in side-impact scenarios, the suspension can instantly lift one side of the car to redirect force into stronger structural areas.
Vehicles like the Yangwang U7 showcase Yunnian-Z’s capabilities, with virtually imperceptible pitch and roll even under aggressive driving maneuvers.
Key Industry Players and Supply Chain
The report also maps the ecosystem of ECS suppliers, ranging from established global players to rising domestic innovators.
Major International and Chinese Suppliers:
- Continental, ZF (SACHS), Vibracoustic, Mando, Tenneco (Monroe), Bilstein
- Beijing West Industries, Tuopu Group, Baolong Automotive, KH Automotive Technologies, Dingyu Intelligent Technology
Technology Specialists:
- Clearmotion (active suspension innovation)
- UAES, AMK China, Jingwei Hirain, Nanyang CIJAN (control electronics and actuators)
- Huawei (intelligent chassis integration with AI-based suspension pre-scanning)
This growing domestic ecosystem is fostering localization and cost reduction, which in turn is accelerating installation rates across mass-market NEVs and premium models alike.
OEM Adoption and Application Cases
ECS technologies are being rapidly adopted across both domestic OEMs and foreign luxury brands operating in China.
- BYD: Pioneer of linear motor-based suspension (Yunnian-Z).
- Li Auto: First to mass-produce dual-chamber + dual-valve ECS systems.
- NIO: Co-developed hydraulic fully active suspension with Clearmotion.
- Xpeng: Introduced dual-chamber springs on multiple models.
- Geely (Lynk & Co, Zeekr): Building digital chassis platforms with ECS integration.
- Hongqi: Developing fully active suspensions under its Tiangong platform.
- Huawei: Showcasing AI-driven ECS with Magic Carpet Suspension on AITO models.
- Luxury imports (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Cadillac): Bringing advanced MRC (Magnetic Ride Control) and electro-hydraulic suspension systems to Chinese markets.
