Blocked from the U.S. market, Chinese self-driving technology firms are accelerating their push into Europe, setting up headquarters, striking data deals and road-testing — prompting alarm from local rivals over competition concerns.
In China, the world's largest car market, more than half of cars sold — including many entry-level models — now offer autonomous driving technology, sometimes as standard.
Beijing is pushing its companies to dominate autonomous-vehicle development globally while crafting national regulations to provide a clear roadmap at home.
That expansion is already under way. A dozen company executives described how Chinese firms are using Europe as a beachhead for global expansion, mirroring the push with electric vehicles.
"We're focusing on Europe for our global future," said Dong Li, chief technology officer of QCraft, which announced plans for a new German headquarters at last month's Munich auto show, citing a more open environment than in the United States.
"There are b
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