Huawei

Richard Yu, Huawei’s automotive executive, criticized underperformance within China’s EV sector. He argued against allowing the “lowest common denominator” to dictate industry standards, likening it to a school where the weakest student hinders progress. Yu advocates for prioritizing innovation and celebrating excellence to avoid complacency and ensure user safety and overall advancement.

A social media exchange hints at a potential rivalry between Xiaomi and Huawei. Indirect responses from Xiaomi executives, including Lei Jun, to comments by Huawei’s Yu Chengdong at an automotive conference sparked speculation on Weibo. The exchange used cryptic quotes and proverbs to address Yu’s remarks on brand power and user experience in the EV market, suggesting a subtle disagreement.

Huawei’s Richard Yu revealed internal struggles behind the HarmonyOS-powered Smart Car initiative at the 2025 Future Automotive Pioneers Conference. He discussed challenges including external policy hurdles and internal misunderstandings. Yu highlighted the evolution of the project and drew parallels to Huawei’s earlier brand-building efforts, expressing optimism that the effort will ultimately succeed and contribute significantly to the Chinese automotive market.

At the 2025 Future Automotive Pioneers Conference, Huawei’s Richard Yu outlined the company’s automotive vision. Key takeaways include Huawei’s strong brand appeal, leading autonomous driving tech, premium AITO brand positioning, and advances in smart cockpits. Yu also emphasized Huawei’s compliance with national standards, cautioned against flawed industry practices, and criticized relying on the lowest performing benchmarks. He highlighted the need for true innovation over hype.

At the 2025 Future Automotive Pioneers Conference, Huawei’s Richard Yu criticized EV quality control. He claimed some automakers wouldn’t meet Huawei’s standards. Yu stressed that quality is paramount, advocating for consumer safety and urging the industry to avoid setting low standards. He called for innovation to prevent stagnation and challenged deceptive advertising practices.

Seres Group announced a strategic investment in Huawei’s automotive tech spin-off, InnoVision, solidifying their partnership. Chairman Zhang Xinghai described it as deepening their relationship, particularly for the AITO brand. The RMB 11.5 billion investment secures a 10% stake and a board seat. InnoVision focuses on intelligent automotive systems. This investment is a key step for Seres in advanced automotive technology, building on the successful AITO vehicle collaboration with Huawei.

Honor CEO Li Jian launched the “Global Million Eagles Program” and opened a personal microblog for direct engagement. The event also showcased Honor’s robotics, highlighting a platform achieving a new running speed benchmark. The upcoming Honor 400 series was previewed, with an emphasis on user feedback, challenging established market leaders. Li, formerly of Huawei, has a strong background in strategic management.

A viral video showing Huawei’s Richard Yu briefly lowering his head while driving an AITO M8 SUV (Level 2 autonomy) reignited debates on driver-assistance system safety. Shenzhen authorities stressed drivers must remain attentive, with full liability for accidents during assisted operation. Huawei’s car unit and AITO reiterated Level 2 systems require continuous manual control. Analysts highlighted consumer confusion over ADAS limitations despite automakers’ marketing, as regulators globally warn these technologies demand constant supervision. The incident underscores risks of misaligned tech ambitions and lagging user education, with the autonomous vehicle market projected to hit $2.3T by 2030 amid regulatory challenges.

Huawei’s consumer chief Richard Yu stated at Tsinghua University that developing ecosystems is tougher than creating OS systems. Speaking on May 23, he emphasized HarmonyOS—now running on 800 million devices globally—as an innovative, infrastructure-independent platform. Yu, a 1993 Huawei veteran behind key telecom patents, urged engineering graduates to join the company’s software initiatives, framing OS development as foundational for smart industries. He humorously contrasted his technical expertise with humanities, underscoring Huawei’s focus on cross-sector innovation for ecosystem maturity.

On China’s “520”表白日, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei’s daughter Yao Anna, 25, shifted focus from romance to manufacturing by touring Changan Auto’s Chongqing facility for its EV brand Avatr. Videos showed her conducting quality checks under Changan Chairman Zhu Huarong’s guidance, balancing brand ambassador duties with hands-on technical involvement. Analysts view her factory immersion as strategic outreach to younger consumers and investors, emphasizing Avatr’s tech integration (Huawei’s driving systems) and production excellence. The move coincides with Avatr’s 2025 Brand Day preview for its premium SUV Avatr 07, following Yao’s promotional role since its 2024 debut. Her industrial engagement contrasts Valentine-style fanfare, positioning the luxury EV as innovation-driven in China’s competitive market.