Dongfeng deepens cooperation with Huawei to boost NEV sales

Dongfeng’s eπ middle-to-high electric brand signed a cooperation agreement with Huawei to jointly develop a series of new energy vehicles. This partnership aims to enhance the eπ’s sales volume in China as it currently lags behind its main competitors.

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Dongfeng launched the eπ (pronounced Yipai) brand in 2023 to enter the market of semi-premium electric cars and range extenders. Deliveries of eπ cars started in March 2024. Its current model line comprises two cars: the eπ 007 sedan and the eπ 008 crossover. Their cumulative sales reached 45,447 units last year according to China EV DataTracker. For comparison, Aito from Seres and Huawei sold 385,904 units. So, Dongfeng decided to deepen the cooperation with the Chinese IT giant to strengthen its market position.

It’s not the first time Dongfeng and Huawei have entered into cooperation. Previously, Huawei became the OS and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) supplier of the Dongfeng-owned M-Hero and Voyah brands. The latest product of such cooperation is the refreshed Voyah Dream minivan, launched in September 2024. Its sales elevated in China after the important update. For clarity, Voyah sold 23,754 units of this minivan from January to August last year. The updated model sold 31,363 units in the next four months.

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Dongfeng’s eπ and Huawei cooperation

So, Dongfeng saw that the cooperation with Huawei was highly effective. As a result, the state-owned carmaker’s eπ brand signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei on January 22. Two sides will explore cooperation in the fields of smart car product development, marketing, and ecological services. The long-term goal is to “create the ultimate smart travel experience based on user needs.”

PR speech aside, it means that the eπ vehicles will adopt the Huawei Qiankun driving assistance system. It is said to be close to an experienced human driver. The Qiankun system supports Navigation Cruise Assist (NCA) from parking to parking. The driver only needs to observe the situation.

Moreover, Hiawei and eπ will jointly develop a series of middle-to-high new energy cars. It will broaden the brand’s current tight model line.

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In January 2025, Dongfeng signed a cooperation agreement with the world’s biggest LiDAR maker, Hesai. According to the announcement, a wide range of Dongfeng vehicles will adopt Hesai ATX sensors. They have 256 lines, up to 300 meters of ranging capability, and dimensions of 100/100/25 mm. With a new LiDAR sensor, the ADAS of Dongfeng vehicles will get yet another boost. It is highly likely that eπ cars will also get these sensors.

Editor’s comment

The exact cooperation model between Huawei and eπ has yet to be specified. Huawei has three main partnership variants. The first one is the least involved, where Huawei only supplies some components and the OS. The second cooperation model is called “Huawei Inside”. It means that Huawei provides its full-stack smart solutions to manufacturers. And the third way of partnership is the creation of a joint brand.

 CarNewsChina expects that eπ and Huawei will explore the second model of cooperation, focusing on building cars with “Huawei Inside” tech. It is unlikely that a brand under Dongfeng will create another third-layer brand, especially bearing in mind eπ’s slow sales.