Zhao Changjiang, the former head of sales for BYD’s premium Denza brand, has joined Luxeed, the automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and Chery, marking a high-profile management move within China’s competitive electric vehicle sector.
Zhao confirmed the appointment on his personal Weibo account on Tuesday, ending months of speculation following his departure from BYD last year. His profile shows he has taken on the roles of executive director and executive vice president at Luxeed, which operates under Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA).
“Today, carrying the weight of my past experience and a steadfast vision for the future, I formally join HIMA-Luxeed,” Zhao wrote, adding that he aims to work with the team to build “a truly user-centric, global benchmark smart brand.” He also expressed thanks to BYD for his years at the company.
Born in 1986, Zhao joined BYD in 2009 after graduating from university and rose through the ranks from sales manager to regional marketing director. When BYD relaunched the Denza brand in mid-2022, Zhao was appointed to lead its sales operations, overseeing channel expansion and marketing strategy. During his tenure, Denza launched the D9 multi-purpose vehicle, which became the brand’s best-selling model.
In July last year, Zhao exchanged roles with Li Hui, then head of Fang Cheng Bao’s direct sales division, stepping down after four years as general manager of Denza’s sales division. He later resigned as general manager of Fang Cheng Bao’s direct sales unit in October 2025.
Zhao’s move comes as Luxeed accelerates product development. The brand is preparing to launch the V9, Huawei’s first MPV under the HIMA umbrella. The Luxeed V9 appeared last week in a regulatory catalog published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, a step that typically precedes a market launch, expected in the first half of this year.
Huawei executive director and consumer business group chairman Richard Yu shared a video of the Luxeed V9 on Weibo following the regulatory filing. Zhao reposted the video and commented that “the industry always needs products to raise the ceiling of imagination.”
Luxeed is one of several brands developed under Huawei’s HIMA framework, alongside Aito, Luxeed, Stelato, Maextro and Shangjie, as the technology company deepens its involvement in China’s automotive sector through partnerships with established manufacturers.
