On September 17, Yicai (China Business Network) published a feature titled“The ‘Hidden Champions’ of Jiaxing Manufacturing: No. 1 in China and the World”as part of its Exploring the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) series. Reporter Miao Qi visited Watson Rally’s Pinghu manufacturing base during Yicai’s research into manufacturing across the YRD, highlighting the company’s dual-city footprint of “R&D in Shanghai, production in Pinghu” and the regional industrial collaboration behind it.
Founded in 2022, Shanghai Watson Rally Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (Watson Rally) focuses on the R&D and mass production of automotive chassis braking systems, with its headquarters and R&D center located in Jinqiao, Pudong, Shanghai. At the end of 2023, the company established its wholly owned subsidiary, Watson Rally (Zhejiang) Automotive Chassis Systems Co., Ltd., in Pinghu, Jiaxing, to develop its first mass-production manufacturing base. The project progressed from launch to construction and mass production within the same year.
Yicai reporters visiting Watson Rally's Pinghu manufacturing base in Jiaxing, Zhejiang.
Production Scales Up, Supporting Stable Delivery of Hydraulic Braking Products
At Watson Rally’s Pinghu manufacturing base, an automated hydraulic braking production line is operating at high efficiency, with one product coming off the line every 25 seconds. As more hydraulic braking programs have been added, production capacity has continued to ramp up and manufacturing scale has steadily expanded.
In addition to wheel-end hydraulic braking systems, including electronic parking brakes (EPBs) and front calipers, Watson Rally’s other core product, its fully dry electro-mechanical brake (EMB) system, has also achieved progress in commercial application. EMB is part of the brake-by-wire technology pathway. In 2025, the company completed and put into operation its first flexible EMB production line, delivered its first batch of mass-produced systems for an autonomous logistics vehicle program, and secured a mass-production program nomination from a leading vehicle OEM.
Yicai noted that Watson Rally is one of the relatively few domestic high-tech enterprises in China with core brake-by-wire technologies.
Output Value Grows, Supported by the Yangtze River Delta Supply Chain
The expansion of manufacturing capabilities is also reflected in output value. Nearly 90% of the Pinghu base’s procurement is completed within the YRD. Leveraging the region’s dense and efficient supply chain network, the company continues to strengthen its production and delivery capabilities, driving rapid growth in output value.
From January to May 2026, the base’s output value exceeded its full-year 2025 total. According to the report, the company expects full-year 2026 output value to grow by more than 100% year over year, potentially marking two consecutive years of doubled output value since mass production began in 2024.
Behind the “Hidden Champion”: A Division of Labor Across Shanghai and Jiaxing
Through the coordinated development of its Shanghai R&D operations and Pinghu manufacturing base, Watson Rally is strengthening the connection between regional industrial resources across product development, technology commercialization and large-scale delivery.
For an automotive components company transitioning toward mass-production supply, this division of capabilities provides practical support for scaling the business. The development and operation of the Pinghu manufacturing base have also built valuable experience in transferring R&D achievements into manufacturing and large-scale production.
As its business scale and product applications continue to expand, Watson Rally will further strengthen its R&D, manufacturing and capacity footprint, enhancing its capabilities in the development, production and delivery of automotive chassis braking systems while providing customers with stable and efficient products and services.