SAIC Motor joins Huawei in new China EV venture to halt multi-year slide in sales

SAIC, which assembles petrol cars with GM and VW, has been left trailing as Chinese consumers switch to EVs sold by Tesla, Xpeng, Nio and Li Auto

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A vehicle inside a factory operated by SAIC-GM-Wuling in Liuzhou, southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in July 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:04pm, 16 Apr 2025Updated: 11:46pm, 16 Apr 2025

SAIC Motor has teamed with Huawei Technologies to develop smart electric vehicles (EVs) under a new brand as China’s largest state-controlled carmaker plots to reverse six years of sliding sales in the world’s biggest auto market.

A first production model under the new brand – known as Shangjie or “fashionable and stylish” – will be unveiled this autumn, according to a joint statement from the companies on Wednesday. It will feature Huawei’s autonomous driving and in-car entertainment systems, they added.

“The partnership with Huawei is more than a crossover,” SAIC president Jia Jianxu said at a launch event in Shanghai. “The brand will bring a revolutionary change to the existing smart-driving ecosystem.”

According to Chinese media, SAIC and Huawei will first unveil an SUV model starting from 170,000 yuan (US$23,270). They did not reveal a launch date.

Yu Chengdong, executive director and chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group. Photo: Xinhua

SAIC, which has joint ventures with General Motors (GM) and Volkswagen (VW) in mainland China, has deployed 5,000 employees to develop Shangjie vehicles.

Huawei will empower the Shangjie vehicles with its latest EV technologies and strict quality control, according to Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of its consumer business group.