Huawei to show up in Auto Shanghai 2019 for the first time

Huawei, a Chinese multinational leading provider of ICT infrastructures and smart devices, has reportedly bought a 500-square-meter booth at the upcoming Auto Shanghai 2019 to showcase its tech fruits as a tier 1 automotive supplier for the first time, according to a person with direct knowledge.

“Huawei is dedicated to bringing digital world to every person, every family and every organization, and building a fully interconnected intelligent world. With the development of automotive intelligence, connectivity, electrification and sharing, automobile industry is being deeply integrated with ICT industry. Now, Huawei is ambitious to bring the digital world to every vehicle,” an invitation letter offered by Huawei to media said.

Besides, the invitation letter also revealed that Huawei will hold a global media conference about automotive business at the auto show. Xu Zhijun, rotating CEO of Huawei, will share Huawei's insight and attitude about automotive industry, and elucidate its business contents and business edge in this domain.

Huawei's automotive business contents and edge can be summarized as five terms, namely, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) platform, data center, C-V2X vehicle-infrastructure synergy solution, automobile communications and EV-related battery storage, an industry source said.

The tech giant is getting an increasingly stronger presence in automotive industry by forming partnerships with a number of automakers. Gasgoo reported a few days ago that BYD signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei on March 25 to co-boost the innovation of automobile and rail transit, and digital transformation of automotive industry.

Under the agreement, both parties are ready to carry out in-depth exchange and cooperation in such areas as automobile intelligent connectivity, autonomous driving, smart monorail and smart industrial park. Huawei will exercise its technology advantages in AI, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and big data to intelligentize and upgrade the mobility service industry and promote companies’ digital transformation by teaming up with BYD, who boasts rich technical resources of NEV and rail transit.

On January 28, BAIC BJEV, a new energy vehicle business arm of BAIC Group, inked an agreement with the ICT tech provider to conduct a well-rounded business cooperation focusing on intelligent-connected vehicle (ICV) based on the intention to improve the ecosystem of automotive industry and eventually realize “smart traffic and smart mobility”.

Meanwhile, both companies jointly announced the establishment of the “1873 Davidson Innovation Laboratory” to implement cooperation over technology R&D and product innovation, covering such fields as cloud computing, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and energy networks. Besides, they would use the newly-built laboratory to study on the in-depth integration of ICT technologies and ICVs, which involves cloud computing, big data, industrial Internet of Things (IoT) as well as cybersecurity, and explore the collaboration over users, ecosystem and supply chain fusion.

In the same January, Huawei agreed an agreement with Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Stock Co.,Ltd (Sokon) to extend cooperation in new energy vehicle (NEV) area. This collaboration, aiming to power the development of intelligent-connected vehicles (ICV) for Sokon, embraces such fields as industrial Internet, ICT infrastructure as well as intelligentization and connectivity of NEVs.

Beside, Changan Automobile and Huawei held an unveiling ceremony for their joint innovation center on January 15. In the meantime, the ceremony was also held to celebrate the implementation of the all-around step-up strategic cooperation between two parties, who were ready to deepen the collaboration in vehicle intelligentization, IoV (Internet of Vehicles) and new energy from 2019. Actually, they had already inked a strategic cooperation agreement on July 4, 2018 to set up the joint innovation center focusing on an IoV platform.

On October 11 at HUAWEI CONNECT 2018, Huawei and the global premium car maker Audi announced their future cooperative plan to conduct joint innovation in L4 autonomous driving area and showcased the all-new Audi Q7 as the embodiment of both parties’ state-of-the-art technologies.  

On July 10 last year, Huawei and Audi signed a strategic memorandum of understanding in Berlin to jointly develop ICVs. This newly-formed cooperation will further promote the comprehensive strategy between two parties. Huawei's Mobile Data Center (MDC) has been integrated into the Audi Q7 for autonomous cars’ driving in urban environments. The prototype was exhibited to the public at the HUAWEI CONNECT 2018.

Dongfeng Motor Corporation (Dongfeng) signed in last August a strategic agreement with Huawei to cement their partnership which has been formed in 2014. Under the agreement, both parties would deepen their collaboration in such areas as vehicle intelligentization, connectivity, electrification, sharing as well as informatization and jointly promote the innovation of cutting-edge technologies.

Two companies would join forces to develop next-generation electric-powered ICVs (Intelligent-connected vehicle) by making full use of Dongfeng's profound resources in automobile industry and Huawei's advantages in ICT, with the ultimate goal of providing users with superior ICV products and services.