Huawei launches new auto models

Huawei Technologies Co unveiled a string of new car models in partnership with carmakers such as Seres and BAIC Group on Wednesday, as the Chinese tech heavyweight works to grow its car-related business despite the US government's restrictions.

The move came after more than 700,000 car units were sold under Huawei's HarmonyOS Intelligent Vehicle Alliance so far. In addition to Seres and BAIC Group, the vehicle alliance also counts Chery Automobile and JAC as members, with Huawei working closely with them to design and sell new energy vehicles under different brands.

Yu Chengdong, Huawei's executive director and chairman of its device business group, said the vehicle alliance has also maintained its position as China's highest average transaction price automotive alliance for 10 consecutive months.

At a product launch event on Wednesday, Huawei and Seres jointly unveiled the Aito M8 SUV, its latest addition to the premium EV lineup.

Yu said the M8 has garnered 150,000 preorders before the launch event, and the upgraded 2025 Aito M9 has achieved over 40,000 confirmed orders within 27 days of launch.

According to Yu, starting from the third quarter of 2025, the M8 series will receive a full upgrade to Huawei's advanced ADS 4.0 autonomous driving system.

The company's ADS 3.3 system, already in deployment, now enables "garage-to-garage" navigation without pre-mapped routes or parking space limitations. The system's self-learning capabilities and over-the-air updates allow existing owners to unlock new features remotely.

Yu emphasized that safety remains Huawei's core philosophy in intelligent driving. "Safety is the ultimate luxury," he said, adding that the company has seen zero battery-related fires across its vehicle fleet to date.

The emphasis on vehicle safety came after a fatal car accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric car on a highway in Anhui province in late March sparked widespread discussion about the safety of the vehicle's autonomous driving system and fire risks.

Meanwhile, 2025 is widely tipped to be the first year that smart driving becomes a key feature of cars in China, and the automotive industry is entering an era of unprecedented competition in intelligent technology.

Chen Qingtai, chairman of China EV 100, an auto industry think tank, said: "The pace of intelligent vehicle development in China has exceeded industry expectations. In the first half of 2024, the penetration rate of L2 or Level 2, plus advanced driver-assistance systems in new passenger vehicles surpassed 55 percent."

Level 2 is part of broader standards developed in relation to the degree to which autonomous machines take over driving functions. Level 2 means partial driver assistance. Level 3 means that drivers can afford not to pay attention in certain situations. Level 4 means that vehicles can perform all driving tasks under specific circumstances, but human overrides are still an option.

BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu declared 2025 the "Year of Universal Smart Driving", predicting that nonautonomous vehicles will soon become niche products. His words resonate across the industry.

"The pace of automotive intelligence is accelerating, with transformative advancements expected to mature within two-three years," Wang added.

Experts have also called for more efforts to educate consumers about the autonomous driving technology's current limitations while not dampening their enthusiasm for driverless cars' long-term potential.

Li Xiang, CEO of Chinese electric vehicle startup Li Auto, has said previously that companies need to adjust how they talk about autonomous driving technology.

"The terms 'autonomous' and 'assistance' are conflicting with each other when describing one single status," Li said. He also emphasized that drivers are ultimately responsible for their own safety, even while using assisted-driving functions.