Huawei's smart car alliance to build unified ecosystem

The Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, which consists of five car marques Huawei has built with Chinese carmakers, announced on Tuesday to unify standards and pool resources to further consolidate their established position in China's NEV market.

At an event in Shanghai, executives from Huawei and its automotive partners — Seres, Chery, BAIC, JAC and SAIC — said they will deepen cooperation across software platforms, service networks, charging infrastructure and joint marketing.

"The move signals a shift from isolated efforts to ecosystem-driven collaboration," said Richard Yu, head of Huawei's smart car business. "Unified standards and shared resources will help deliver more consistent value to users."

The collaboration covers all brands operating under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, which are Aito, Luxeed, Stelato, Maextro and Shangjie.

Combined they have produced over 1 million vehicles, with around a quarter from Aito, the earliest member of the five.

The move marks one of the most coordinated ecosystem efforts yet in China's auto industry, where mounting R&D costs and accelerating product cycles are pushing carmakers toward shared technology frameworks.

Under the expanded partnership, Huawei and its partners plan to standardize core components such as the HarmonyOS-based cockpit, intelligent-driving stack and cloud services.

For Huawei, the move reinforces its ambition to become the backbone supplier of smart car operating systems, cockpit software and advanced driving features.

The companies will also create a cross-brand after-sales service network — a rare attempt in China to consolidate traditionally fragmented sales and service operations.

Another priority is charging infrastructure. The five brands will jointly invest in charging stations, unifying user accounts and charging maps to create a seamless energy-replenishment experience across models.

The alliance also plans to establish a joint innovation center to accelerate next-generation smart-vehicle technologies and push them more quickly into mass-market products.

The tightened alliance also reflects broader pressures reshaping China's auto sector.

With NEV penetration surpassing 50 percent and smart-driving capabilities emerging as the key differentiator, carmakers face rising software costs, complex supply chains and the need for rapid over-the-air updates.

Analysts say unified platforms can reduce duplicated investment and allow technologies such as smart driving algorithms or digital cockpit systems to scale more quickly.

For Huawei, it deepens its influence at a time when more global and Chinese brands are evaluating whether to adopt its stack or turn to rivals such as Momenta or suppliers from the US and Europe.

The effort also signals that ecosystem-level collaboration — rather than standalone product competition — may define the next stage of China's smart-EV race.