Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) is reportedly broadening its battery supplier network beyond long-time partner CATL as the company seeks to reduce costs and strengthen competitiveness in China’s increasingly crowded electric vehicle market.
According to a report by Chinese media outlet 36Kr, HIMA brands including Aito, Luxeed and Shangjie are preparing to introduce additional battery suppliers alongside CATL, marking a significant shift in Huawei’s EV supply chain strategy.
Aito to add Gotion and CALB batteries
The report states that Aito, which has historically relied exclusively on CATL batteries, will begin sourcing battery packs from CALB and Gotion High-tech.
Industry sources cited by 36Kr said the Aito M6 has already been designated to use Gotion’s 81-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.
Gotion reportedly received a sourcing letter from HIMA last year, while CALB is also expected to enter Aito’s supplier system.
The move represents a notable change for the Aito brand. In August 2022, Seres, the owner of Aito, signed a five-year strategic partnership agreement with CATL under which all Aito models would use CATL batteries.
The relationship deepened further in June 2025 when CATL established a battery production line inside Aito’s manufacturing facility, marking the battery giant’s first implementation of its “factory-within-a-factory” production model.
Supplier diversification expands across HIMA brands
The supplier diversification strategy is not limited to Aito.
According to the report, Luxeed, the EV brand jointly developed by Huawei and Chery, will add both Gotion and Sunwoda to its battery supplier roster. Luxeed models have previously used batteries supplied by CATL and CALB.
Meanwhile, Gotion’s 81-kWh battery pack could also be adopted by Shangjie, the EV brand developed through Huawei’s partnership with SAIC Motor.
Sources cited in the report said Huawei is currently conducting pre-production audits of Gotion’s manufacturing facilities and has assigned personnel to oversee battery cell production.
Cost reduction becomes a priority
Industry sources suggest the primary motivation behind the move is cost control.
Battery suppliers such as Gotion and Sunwoda are reportedly offering LFP battery packs at prices roughly 10% lower than comparable CATL products.
For an 81-kWh battery pack, that difference could amount to savings of nearly 2,000 yuan ($296) per vehicle.
Although the figure may appear modest on a single-unit basis, the savings become substantial when applied across hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually.
Rising material costs pressure EV manufacturers
The push for lower battery costs comes as automakers across China face increasing supply chain expenses.
At the 2026 China Auto Chongqing Summit earlier this month, Seres Chairman Zhang Xinghai said the average production cost of an Aito vehicle had increased by between 15,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan.
Manufacturers are also facing higher costs for key components and raw materials, including memory chips and lithium carbonate.
As a result, automakers are increasingly looking for opportunities to optimize procurement costs without compromising performance.
Giant Whale Battery standard remains in place
Although Huawei plays a central role in HIMA’s vehicle development, the company does not directly purchase batteries.
Instead, Huawei has established the technical requirements for its “Giant Whale Battery” platform, which serves as the qualification standard for battery suppliers seeking to enter the HIMA ecosystem.
Battery manufacturers must pass Huawei’s certification process before being approved as suppliers.
At the recent Greater Bay Area Auto Show in Shenzhen, both CALB and Gotion prominently displayed the Giant Whale Battery branding at their exhibition booths, highlighting their alignment with Huawei’s battery standards.
Sales ambitions drive urgency
The move comes as HIMA pursues ambitious growth targets.
Huawei executive director Richard Yu has previously stated that the alliance aims to deliver between 1 million and 1.3 million vehicles in 2026.
However, HIMA delivered approximately 192,000 vehicles during the first five months of the year, with more than 130,000 units coming from the Aito brand alone.
The figures indicate that HIMA remains heavily dependent on Aito for sales volume while seeking broader expansion across its portfolio.
The alliance is also facing growing pressure from competitors including Xpeng and Xiaomi, both of which continue to expand aggressively in China’s mass-market EV segment.
Earlier this week, Aito launched two new battery-electric versions of the M6, reducing the model’s starting price by 50,000 yuan to 229,800 yuan in an effort to attract more customers.
CATL expected to defend market share
Despite the reported changes, the supplier transition is not yet finalized.
Sources close to HIMA told 36Kr that final decisions remain subject to regulatory filings and approval processes for upcoming vehicle models.
CATL is also expected to fight to retain one of its most important customers. According to the report, the battery giant is currently evaluating pricing adjustments and other measures to remain competitive as HIMA reassesses its battery sourcing strategy.
If implemented, the supplier diversification effort would represent one of the most significant shifts in Huawei’s EV supply chain strategy since the creation of the HIMA alliance.
