Auto Shanghai 2025, one of the major global automotive events on the calendar, is taking place from 23 April – 2 May 2025 and GlobalData are there to cut through the noise to bring you the real insight behind the biggest announcements.
John Zeng (Director of Asian Forecasting) and Lancy Zhang (Powertrain Market Analyst) have shared their thoughts on some of the show’s biggest talking points. Having already discussed whether traditional ICE vehicles can compete in the autonomous era, they have now taken a look at Huawei’s ‘Auto Wintel’ ecosystem and its potential to reshape China’s smart vehicle industry.
Key Takeaways
Huawei: Dominant Presence Without Being a Car Brand
At this year’s Auto Shanghai show, Huawei showcased its tech through two major exhibits: “Intelligent Automotive Solutions BU” (6.1H Hall) and “Harmony Intelligent Mobility” (5.2 Hall).
Its solutions (smart driving, cockpit systems, sensors) power cars from Audi, BMW, Seres, Chery, and more, covering 80% of Chinese automakers.
Not the Biggest Booth, But the Biggest Influence
Insights
Why Huawei Stands Out
1. Three Partnership Models:
2. Huawei Inside delivers a full-stack smart vehicle solution including ADS autonomous driving, HarmonyOS cockpit, Ascend/Kirin chips, and LiDAR – establishing an “Auto Wintel” ecosystem.
Impact
For Car Companies, Huawei offers:
Car Brands Face a Tough Choice
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Use Huawei’s full package (fast but lose independence, 11+ brands such as AITO, AVATR, BAIC).
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Self-develop (slow and expensive, like Tesla, NIO, XPeng).
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Mix both (e.g., BYD, Geely use Huawei as component supply for Harmony OS, ADS etc.)
Analyst View
Huawei’s “Wintel of Autos” Strategy
Like Windows + Intel in PCs, Huawei combines HarmonyOS + Ascend chips + ADS software to create an all-in-one ecosystem.
Car brands using Huawei tech gain faster development but risk losing control (similar to PC makers relying on Wintel) and become “Huawei’s hardware partners”.
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