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The partnership is Huawei’s latest attempt to enter further into the EV market 

This week, telecoms equipment giant Huawei and Chinese state-owned vehicle manufacture Dongfeng Motor Group have signed a partnership to collaborate on Dongfeng’s Voyah brand of “new energy” vehicles.  

Dongfeng is one of China’s ‘Big 4’ car manufacturers, alongside FAW Group, SAIC Motors, and Changan. 

The partnership, which was announced on Monday, will see Dongfeng Motors include various Huawei technologies in its vehicles, including autonomous driving and infotainment software. The press release notes that “both parties will jointly create the ultimate intelligent travel experience based on user needs. Through collaborative exploration and innovation in various fields, they aim to accelerate the large-scale commercialization of intelligent technologies.”  

Little else about the partnership was released, although it is expected that Voyah will adopt “Huawei Inside”, the company’s autonomous driving system that combines the Harmony operating system with the HiCar solution, and is capable of level-3 of autonomous driving. This indicates the vehicle can perform most driving tasks but human override may still be required in some circumstances. 

Voyah, who delivered 50,000 vehicles last year, aim to double their production in the coming year, according to their partner meeting yesterday. 

Huawei has been striving to grow its presence in China’s automobile industry for a number of years now, having invested $1 billion in the industry since 2021.The country has the one of the world’s fastest growing electric vehicle (EV) markets, with penetration expected to reach 40% of the country’s automobile industry this year. For Huawei, this represents a massive opportunity, one which the company is increasingly dedicated to pursuing as international sanctions stymie its traditional telecoms business in many Western markets. 

Back in November, Huawei announced a joint venture (JV) with state-run automobile firm Changan Auto, another of the so-called Big 4. Huawei said it will move its core technologies and resources in its smart car unit to the newly created JV, in which Changan will take a stake of up to 40%. The JV will focus on areas that are already covered by Huawei’s Intelligent Automotive Solution (IAS) business unit, such as intelligent driving software and digital cockpit systems. 

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