Honda partners with Huawei for new EV brand’s self-driving tech

Honda is trying to expand its presence in the Chinese electric market and is joining forces with local tech giant Huawei. The collaboration will see Huawei's advanced smart driving solution integrated into Honda's new EV brand, "Ye." This partnership is yet another in a growing trend among automotive manufacturers looking to use Huawei's self-driving technology.

Honda's "Ye" brand was launched in April 2024, as the company's dedicated brand for Chinese EV buyers. The brand's initial lineup includes three models: the Ye P7, Ye S7, and Ye GT. The Ye P7 and Ye S7 were initially planned for release in late 2024, but their launch has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2025. According to local sources, the delay is caused by the "Ye" brand's marketing, communication, and smart technologies falling short of the expectations set by Honda's Japanese shareholders.

Instead of wasting more time getting its own technology approved for the Chinese market, Honda decided to use Huawei's smart driving solution in the "Ye" models. This decision is partly influenced by the slow progress of Honda's own autonomous driving technologies due to regulatory hurdles. By partnering with Huawei, Honda is basically taking a shortcut.

Interestingly, local auto analysts speculate that the same "Ye" models could be offered in different versions equipped with either Honda Sensing 360+ or Huawei's smart driving solution. That way, consumers would have a choice between Honda's proprietary technology and Huawei's system.

Honda's entry into the Chinese NEV market comes at a time when the company is experiencing a decline in its overall sales in the region. In the first eleven months of 2024, Honda's sales in China plummeted by 30.7 percent year-on-year.

Honda has two EV factories in China. The first is a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor in Wuhan, Hubei province, and it opened in October 2023. The second factory is a result of a collaboration with GAC Group. It began production in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, in December 2023. Both facilities have a planned annual production capacity of 120,000 vehicles.

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