(Yicai) April 24 -- NearLink, a new short-range wireless communication standard developed within China’s own industrial ecosystem, is turning heads at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show. As it moves into a critical phase of large-scale commercialization, many of the latest car models at the auto show have been equipped with this homegrown alternative to traditional wireless technologies such as Bluetooth. 

Seres’ Aito M9 and M8, as well as BAIC BJEV’s Stelato S9 extended-range edition are among the many cars equipped with NearLink-enabled wireless keys, Yicai noticed at the auto show. Both carmakers partner closely with tech giant Huawei Technology on intelligent vehicle technology.

Chinese companies used to rely on short-range wireless standards such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that were dominated by foreign firms. However, now that NearLink,  also known as SparkLink, has been fully standardized in China, and after the formation of the International SparkLink Alliance, the technology’s commercial adoption has picked up speed since 2023 and more people are using it. 

“NearLink can avoid environmental interference to achieve high-precision positioning. For example, NearLink-equipped cars can pinpoint their owner’s location with an error margin of less than 0.6 meters, and respond accordingly to welcome his or her arrival,” an industry expert at the show told Yicai. “This is five times more accurate than Bluetooth keys.”

While ultra-wideband technology provides high precision too, its steep price has limited widespread use. NearLink has a similar cost to Bluetooth but offers a superior performance.

“The technology will soon expand from cars to other applications,” a source close to the SparkLink Alliance told Yicai. “By the end of the year, we expect over 300 products equipped with NearLink tech to hit the market.”

The SparkLink Alliance now boasts over 1,200 member companies, hundreds of which have already launched products incorporating the technology, Yicai learned from industry insiders. These products span more than 100 categories from consumer electronics, home appliances and gaming to other sectors. This growing ecosystem will help to support NearLink’s expansion into the auto sector. 

Editor: Kim Taylor