Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 17, On October 16, Liu Jiaming, CEO of Qijing Auto, announced via his Weibo account that the first model under the joint brand established by GAC Group and Huawei—Qijing—has completed its final design review, marking the project’s entry into the production preparation stage.

Liu stated that nearly 100 designers from Huawei’s Milan Aesthetics Research Institute and Qijing’s in-house design team collaborated on the vehicle’s styling. After eight months of intensive development, the final design has been confirmed. He described this as a significant milestone for the brand’s debut model. According to Liu, the design has received strong internal feedback from both younger employees and Huawei executives, including those with extensive automotive experience.

The Qijing brand was officially introduced in November 2024, following the signing of an expanded cooperation agreement between GAC and Huawei in Guangzhou. The two companies committed to jointly developing a premium intelligent new energy vehicle (NEV) brand targeting China’s 300,000-yuan-and-above market segment.

The partnership marks a new stage in the collaboration between automotive manufacturers and technology firms. Instead of the conventional approach that separates manufacturing from technology supply, Huawei and GAC have adopted a “built-in collaboration” model. Under this framework, Huawei’s product, marketing, and finance teams work alongside GAC personnel to integrate operations across all stages. GAC has also implemented Huawei’s Integrated Product Development (IPD) and Integrated Product Marketing and Sales (IPMS) systems. These allow for real-time coordination between the “technology side” and the “manufacturing side,” reducing communication delays and improving efficiency from product design to market launch.

According to the company’s development plan, Qijing’s first production vehicle is expected to roll off the line in 2026. By 2028, the brand aims to introduce three models, with an annual production capacity projected to reach 150,000 units. The sales strategy will combine direct sales with authorized distribution, utilizing GAC AION’s existing network of more than 600 stores, alongside selected Huawei retail locations for pilot operations.

The brand’s first urban showrooms are planned for major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Additional outlets in Chengdu and Hangzhou are expected to open around the Chinese New Year holiday in 2026.

With Qijing, GAC and Huawei aim to integrate advanced technology and intelligent mobility solutions into high-end NEVs, reflecting a deepened collaboration between the automotive and technology sectors. The project’s progress marks a key step toward expanding China’s premium intelligent vehicle market and demonstrates the growing convergence of design innovation, digital technology, and advanced manufacturing in the country’s evolving automotive industry.