Huawei Launches New Brand for Intelligent Driving Solutions in China

Chinese tech giant Huawei has unveiled a new software brand called 'Qiankun' for intelligent driving solutions. The brand, launched under Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution (IAS) business unit, aims to provide self-driving systems involving the driving chassis, audio, and driver's seat.

Huawei expects the cumulative number of cars on the road equipped with the Huawei self-driving system to top 500,000 by the end of 2024. More than 10 car models adopting the Qiankun system are expected to hit the market within a year.

At the Beijing Auto Show 2024 event, Huawei introduced several Qiankun solutions, including ADS 3.0 for automated driving, XMOTION 2.0 for motion control, XHUD 2.0 for augmented reality head-up display, XPIXEL for smart car lights, and XSCENE for large format in-car entertainment. The new Qiankun HarmonyOS cockpit and cloud services were also unveiled.

Why this matters: Huawei's launch of the Qiankun brand signifies its ambition to become a major player in the intelligent electric vehicle (EV) era. The company's diversification into the automotive industry comes amid an intensifying price war in China's auto market, which is facing slowing sales and overcapacity concerns as over 40 companies compete for consumers' attention.

Huawei has also launched several EV models in partnership with Chinese automakers, including the Aito, Luxeed S7, Avatr, and Arcfox brands. The company unveiled the S9 sedan, the first model under its premium Stelato brand launched with Beijing Automotive Group.

Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei's IAS business unit, stated, "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 end of the year." Huawei's smart car unit, launched in 2019 with the goal of becoming the 'Bosch of the intelligent EV era', provides software and components to partners as the company establishes itself as a key player in the electric car market.

Key Takeaways

• Huawei launches 'Qiankun' software brand for intelligent driving solutions.
• Huawei aims to have 500,000 cars with its self-driving system by 2024.
• Qiankun offers solutions for automated driving, motion control, AR displays, and more.
• Huawei diversifies into the automotive industry amid competition in China's EV market.
• Huawei's smart car unit aims to become the 'Bosch of the intelligent EV era'.