Huawei has signed an agreement with power battery giant CATL as the tech giant increases its bets on the electric vehicle industry, although it’s not directly involved in building cars itself, according to CnEVPost.
The two companies signed a memorandum of cooperation yesterday (December 14) at CATL’s headquarters in Ningde, Fujian province, with executives including CATL’s chairman Robin Zeng and Richard Yu, who is at the helm of Huawei’s automotive business.
Huawei would recommend CATL as the first choice of power battery supplier for its partner car companies, according to a press release from CATL.
The release said that the Chinese battery manufacturer would provide Huawei with power battery products for the tech giant’s partnership projects in the automotive sector, supporting their fast roll-out to market and ensuring the innovation and leadership of these products.
The signing of the memorandum marks both parties’ increased investment in smart, connected EV technology and their joint efforts to build a global, premium automotive brand.
It is worth noting that this isn’t the first collaboration between CATL and Huawei, as previously, they have leveraged their respective strengths to aid in building new automotive brands.
Changan Automobile’s EV brand
On August 24 last year, Chinese auto giant Changan Automobile joined CATL and Huawei to unveil its new premium electric vehicle brand Avatr Technology.
Previously, the brand was known as Changan NIO, a joint venture (JV) between Changan and NIO. However, its name has since been changed to Avatr, while NIO has mostly withdrawn from the venture.
Avatr 11 launched with Huawei Inside and CTP ternary lithium battery pack
On August 8, 2022, Avatr’s first model, the Avatr 11, was launched with Huawei’s full-stack smart car solution, Huawei Inside, and CATL’s CTP ternary lithium battery pack.
Backed by Huawei’s 750V high-voltage platform and CATL’s battery pack, the Avatr 11 can reach a 680 km (422 miles) maximum range. The model supports 240 kW fast charging and can be charged up to 200 km (124 miles) in 5 minutes.
Avatr 11 comes with three regular versions
The Avatr 11 is available in three regular versions, all with dual motors, respectively priced at RMB 349,900 ($50,269), RMB 369,900 ($53,142), and RMB 409,900 ($58,889).
Deliveries of these two versions, which are priced lower, are anticipated to start this month, and deliveries of the most expensive version are expected to start in the first quarter of 2023.
The brand’s vehicles would enter Huawei’s two flagship stores in Beijing and Shenzhen in about December, said China Securities Journal, citing Avatr’s sources.
