Beijing, 24 April 2024 (TDI): Chinese tech company, Huawei (HWT.UL) unveiled on Wednesday a new software brand for intelligent driving, marking its latest push to become a major player in the electric vehicle industry.
The company incorporated Shenzhen Yinwang Intelligent Technology Co Ltd on Tuesday in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, where Huawei is based.
The new brand Qiankun, symbolizing a combination of heaven and the Kunlun Mountains, plans to provide self-driving systems involving the driving chassis, audio, and driver’s seat, Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei’s Intelligent Automotive Solution (IAS) business unit, said during an event ahead of the Beijing auto show.
“2024 will be the first year for mass commercialization of smart driving and the cumulative number of cars on the road equipped with the Huawei self-driving system will top 500,000 by the year-end,” Jin said.
He also expected within a year more than 10 car models adopting Huawei’s Qiankun system would hit the market.
The Shenzhen-based tech conglomerate launched its smart car unit in 2019 with the aim that it could become the equivalent of German automotive supplier Bosch of the intelligent EV era and supply software and components to partners.
In November, a subsidiary of Changan, a Chinese state-owned automaker, disclosed that it had partnered with Huawei to form a new company created to provide smart car systems.
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Changan plans to take a stake of up to 40% in the business, which it hopes to help further its goals of becoming a low-carbon, tech-driven transportation company, it said in the filing.
Huawei launches new software brand. It offers a system for vehicles called HarmonyOS for Automotive, which is designed to sync with its mobile operating system of the same name and “create a seamless experience across nearby devices,” according to the company.
The software is designed to make driving safer and more comfortable by responding to “changes in the internal and external environment of the car,” the company said in a statement.
