Challenging times for the old automobile industry as it sees its private hunting ground filled with new players who have the ace up their sleeve of technology. A factor that will define the car of the future over the centuries-old engineering of the automobile last.
According to Reuters from China, the telecommunications giant is preparing to make its entrance through the big door to produce electric cars. Huawei has plans to launch electric vehicles with its logo on the hood soon.
As Reuters reported, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd would be in talks with the state-owned Changan Automobile and other automakers to get their car to production lines.
The technology and communications giant’s interest and plans demonstrate the growing appeal of companies outside the automotive realm in a rapidly expanding market in China and other regions.
According to the news agency, Huawei has been designing its electric cars in-house for some time. To strengthen its ambitions, Huawei would have entrusted the production project to Richard Yu, head of the consumer electronics division. One of the people responsible for the Chinese company becoming one of the world’s largest manufacturers of smartphones.
Huawei’s movement does not attract so much attention, especially if we look at the sector’s intentions from Apple, to Baidu, to Foxconn, who look to the electric car as a future market to diversify their businesses and ecosystems.
In 2021, sales of electric cars in China are expected to increase from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.8 million. If true, the electric vehicle will reach 20% of total vehicle sales in 2025.
For now, the telecommunications giant has denied the news: “Huawei is not a car manufacturer. However, through our ICT (information and communication technologies), we aspire to be a supplier of digital components for automobiles that allow manufacturers to produce better vehicles”.
The Chinese telecommunications giant has its first foray into the automotive world after starting collaborations on autonomous driving with Changan and battery manufacturer CATL.
The company has also partnered in parallel with automakers such as Daimler AG, General Motors Co, and SAIC Motor to develop smart car technologies.
Huawei also has to its credit alliances, the German brand Audi to develop connectivity, having started the manufacturing of radars and sensors for cars equipped with autonomous driving.
Despite denying their interest in becoming electric car manufacturers, Huawei has received at least four patents related to electric vehicles in recent weeks. According to official Chinese patent records compiled by Reuters, these include charging systems between electric cars and battery health checking functions.