BAIC Motor Co. has become the first automaker to adopt vehicle cockpits with an operating system developed by technology giant Huawei Technologies.
The operating system, dubbed HarmonyOS, will be installed in a new fossil fuel-powered SUV, BAIC announced Thursday, without releasing additional details on the vehicle.
BAIC, a state-owned company, made the announcement a day after Huawei presented and demonstrated a wide array of consumer electronic products run on the self-developed operating system.
The products include Huawei’s flagship smartphones, smart watches and tablets.
Huawei developed the HarmonyOS operating system after it was barred by the Trump administration from accessing U.S. technology including Google’s Android operating system in 2019.
At an online event on Wednesday, Huawei also said it has developed smart vehicle cockpit technology based on HarmonyOS.
HarmonyOS, when used in a vehicle cockpit, can be connected to smart homes and other intelligent devices, “which can transform the car into a movie theater, game hall, and karaoke room in seconds,” Huawei said.
Huawei began targeting the auto industry as a technology provider in 2019 and has made quick inroads in winning clients among Chinese automakers.
BAIC and Chinese carmaker Sokon have upgraded the cockpits of their flagship electric crossovers with Huawei technology.
The tech giant has also signed agreements with two other state-owned auto manufacturers, Changan Automobile Co. and GAC Motor Co., to jointly develop smart EVs.