• GAC said it will prioritize the new brand -- Qijing -- allocating its best resources to ensure the brand's long-term development.
• Qijing vehicles will be equipped with Huawei's most advanced intelligent technology, the company said.

GAC Group (HKG: 2238) officially unveiled its new brand developed in collaboration with Huawei, targeting the premium electric vehicle (EV) market.

Named Qijing (启境 in Chinese), the brand marks GAC's intensified efforts in the EV sector and Huawei's new approach to collaborating with automakers.

GAC has established an independent company to operate the Qijing brand, while Huawei has dispatched its top talent to participate in the project, the automaker said in a release today.

GAC will prioritize Qijing as its top initiative, putting its best resources toward ensuring the brand's long-term development, it said.

All Qijing vehicles will be equipped with Huawei Qiankun's most advanced intelligent technologies, GAC said.

Huawei primarily collaborates with automakers through three patterns, with its deepest involvement being the Zhixuan pattern -- a joint vehicle manufacturing partnership. The other two focus on supplying components and intelligent technologies.

Under the Zhixuan model, Huawei has partnered with domestic automakers through its HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance) business unit to create five brands: SAIC Motor's Shangjie, Seres Group's Aito, Chery's Luxeed, BAIC Group's Stelato, and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC)'s Maextro.

The collaboration with GAC differs from all existing patterns, potentially representing the entirely new approach previously rumored.

Huawei would unveil a new collaboration model with automakers within this year, granting them greater autonomy, according to a September 1 report by Chinese media outlet Caijing.

This new model differs from both the Huawei Inside (HI) approach -- where Huawei merely sells technology -- and the co-branded vehicle strategy.

The new framework aims to establish an automaker-led structure with Huawei's deep involvement, Caijing said.

GAC had previously announced in May 2021 plans to collaborate with Huawei on developing L4 autonomous vehicles for mass production by 2024. However, that initiative was subsequently shelved.

In November 2024, the two parties renewed their partnership to jointly establish a new premium brand.

In January this year, GAC's board approved establishing a project company codenamed "GH" with registered capital of RMB 1.5 billion ($210 million) to jointly define and design vehicles with Huawei.

In a February 18 report, local media outlet Cailian cited a GAC insider as saying that the GH project's first model was slated for launch in 2026.

The project is viewed within Huawei's automotive division as a new collaborative model that the tech giant will prioritize this year, Cailian reported, citing a source close to the tech giant.

($1 = RMB 7.1125)