Huawei Could Be Selling Electric Cars As Soon As This Year

Huawei is rumoured to be diversifying into the automotive manufacturing business. The information and communications technology (ICT) giant is reported to be in discussions with state-owned Changan Automobile, as well as a subsidiary of Beijing-based BAIC Group, to help manufacture its vehicles.

According to three of the four sources, Huawei has already started internally designing electric vehicles (EV) and approaching suppliers in China. The sources also said that the company aims to launch the project as early as this year. 

Huawei’s head of consumer business group, Richard Yu, who led the company to become one of the world’s largest smartphone makers, is also said to be shifting his focus completely to the EV business. Huawei’s new electric car will target a “mass-market segment”, said another source.

The ICT giant currently makes in-car infotainment systems, alongside various sensors and 5G communications hardware. These technologies have already been deployed in several new cars from China’s BYD and SAIC. The company also formed partnerships with Daimler, General Motors, and SAIC to jointly develop other smart vehicle technologies.

Just this week, Huawei was awarded at least four patents related to EVs, including one for charging between electric cars, and one for checking battery health, according to official Chinese patent records.

Among the ICT and consumer electronics company that made headlines for automobile sales, only Sony has actually built a working prototype car with the help of European suppliers. The company however said the EV is just a testbed for its future technology and no intention of entering the sales and production of cars.