Voyah said it and Huawei will accelerate the large-scale commercial application of intelligent technologies through the exploration of collaborative vehicle models.
(Image credit: Voyah)
Chinese tech giant Huawei is expanding its partnerships in the automotive sector, with its latest partner being Voyah, the new energy vehicle (NEV) arm of Dongfeng Motor.
Voyah recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei that will see the two companies work together to create the ultimate smart mobility experience based on their respective strengths and centered around user needs, the NEV maker announced today.
The two will accelerate the large-scale commercial application of intelligent technologies through the exploration of cooperation vehicle models in multiple fields, Voyah said.
The signing was witnessed by Dongfeng deputy general manager You Zheng, Voyah CEO Lu Fang, Huawei vice chairman and rotating chairman Xu Zhijun, and Huawei intelligent vehicle solutions division CEO Jin Yuzhi.
The signing of the strategic cooperation agreement marks a new stage in the cooperation between Voyah and Huawei, the statement from the NEV maker said.
Huawei’s technology accumulation in ICT (information and communications technology) and breakthroughs in the field of intelligence will help Voyah further upgrade and iterate in the field of smart NEVs, the NEV maker said.
Voyah’s statement did not provide further details, including whether it will launch a new brand with Huawei.
Huawei has three types of cooperation with car companies, of which the model of jointly launching a new brand to build cars is the one it is most involved in, which is known as Zhixuan.
In Huawei’s least involved model, the tech giant only provides components and the HarmonyOS system. In the middle of the spectrum is the model that offers “Huawei Inside” solutions.
The first automaker to partner with Huawei in the Zhixuan model is Chongqing-based Seres, which jointly created the Aito brand and launched the Aito M5, Aito M7, and Aito M9.
In addition to Seres, Huawei also co-branded Luxeed with Chery and made the Luxeed S7, the first model of the new brand, available on November 28.
Changan’s sub-brand Avatr is also one of the automakers that has partnered with Huawei, but has opted to use the “Huawei Inside” solution.
On December 1, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group said it had signed an agreement with Huawei to jointly build electric vehicles (EVs), but gave no further details.
Voyah didn’t mention that it would create a new co-brand with Huawei, which could mean that the partnership is similar to Huawei’s work with Avatr.
Voyah is a brand unveiled by Dongfeng at the end of 2020, and the first model, Voyah Free, was announced at that time.
The Voyah Free was officially launched in China in June 2021, offering extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) versions as well as all-electric versions, which are currently priced from RMB 266,900 ($37,100) to RMB 393,600 respectively.
On May 7, 2022, Voyah’s second model, the Dreamer MPV, went on sale at a starting price of RMB 339,900 yuan.
On December 15, 2022, Voyah launched its third model, the Zhuiguang sedan, which is currently priced at a starting price of RMB 252,800 yuan.
Voyah’s deliveries have been weak over the past two years, with most months below 5,000 units, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
The company saw a significant uptick in deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023, delivering 10,017 units in December, the first time it exceeded the 10,000-unit mark.
($1 = RMB 7.1938)
