After Xiaomi now like Apple, the Chinese telecommunications supplier Huawei allegedly wants to build electric cars.
According to a report by Reuters, the group is in talks with Chinese automakers to produce their own electric cars in their factories. The companies included the state-owned manufacturer Changan and the company Bluepark New Energy, a subsidiary of the state-owned BAIC.
Reuters cites several people in the report who are believed to be familiar with the subject. A Huawei spokesman, on the other hand, denied the alleged plans to develop electric cars or to produce Huawei brand vehicles. “Huawei is not a car manufacturer. However, through information and communication technology, we want to be a provider of digital components related to cars that enable car manufacturers to build better vehicles.”
According to Reuters, however, Huawei has already started internal development and contacted Chinese suppliers. The project could start later this year. Citing one of the sources, it also said that the head of Huawei’s consumer division, Richard Yu, wants to shift the focus from smartphones to electric cars. According to another source, Huawei is targeting the mass market.
Because of the ongoing US embargo, Huawei has already sold its smartphone subsidiary Honor and has developed its own Android alternative, HarmonyOS. Huawei boss Ren Zhengfei already admitted that the company had to work with “third-class components.”