New Huawei Tech-Powered Electric Car Launches With a Bang

The new Aito M7, co-developed by the tech giant with automaker Seres, chalked up more than 50,000 orders in less than a month

Photo: VCG

A new electric car powered by Huawei’s autonomous driving technology has hit the market with a bang, attracting tens of thousands of orders in less than a month and giving the telecom-equipment giant a confidence boost as it pushes further into China’s highly competitive auto market.

As of Friday, more than 50,000 orders have been placed for the upgraded version of the Aito M7 SUV since it was launched on Sept. 12, said Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei’s smart car unit, in a social media post Saturday.

For each order, customers paid a non-refundable deposit of 5,000 yuan ($695), according to information provided by Aito — a premium electric-vehicle (EV) brand co-developed by Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and automaker Seres Group Co. Ltd.

Huawei is pinning high hopes on the Aito line to drive the development of its Smart Selection ecosystem, one of Huawei’s two major auto business models.