China’s GAC Group has officially launched a new premium electric vehicle brand, Qijing, developed in partnership with Huawei, as the two companies expand their cooperation in the fast-growing EV market.
GAC said it has created a standalone company to operate Qijing and will make the brand its top priority. “We will put our best resources toward ensuring the brand’s long-term development,” the automaker said in a release. Huawei, meanwhile, has assigned senior staff to the project, which will integrate the company’s Qiankun intelligent technologies across all Qijing models.
The collaboration signals a departure from Huawei’s existing cooperation models with automakers. Until now, Huawei has worked under three main frameworks, ranging from supplying components and intelligent systems to deeper joint ventures under its Zhixuan model. Partnerships under that model have already produced brands such as Seres’ Aito and Chery’s Luxeed.
Industry observers say the Qijing venture may mark the new collaboration model Huawei had hinted at earlier this month, in which automakers take the lead but benefit from Huawei’s deep involvement. A report from Caijing on Sept. 1 said the new framework would give carmakers greater autonomy than earlier approaches like Huawei Inside, where Huawei mainly provided technology, or co-branded vehicle programs.
GAC and Huawei had previously announced plans in 2021 to co-develop L4 autonomous vehicles for mass production by 2024, though that effort was later abandoned. In November 2024, the two companies agreed to revive their partnership to establish a new premium EV brand.
In January, GAC’s board approved the creation of a project company, codenamed “GH,” with registered capital of 1.5 billion yuan ($210 million) to jointly define and design vehicles with Huawei. Local media reports in February suggested the first model under the GH project is expected in 2026.