Business

Huawei to Invest $2.6 Billion for Leadership in Smart Driving Tech
By Reuters | 23 Apr, 2026

China's smartphone giant is determined to grow its status as an exciting new entry into the EV and smart driving space.

Huawei Technologies will invest 18 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) globally on research and development in smart driving technologies, including 10 billion yuan on computing power for training, a senior executive said on Thursday. Over the next five years, Huawei plans to spend 70 billion to 80 billion yuan on computing power, Jin Yuzhi, Huawei's senior vice president, said at an event in Beijing ahead of China's largest auto show, which opens on Friday.

Huawei is defending its leading position after rapidly emerging as a key supplier in China's smart EV sector over the past four years, driven by advanced technologies increasingly favoured by affluent Chinese consumers over German-engineered alternatives.

A total of 38 vehicle models equipped with Huawei's smart driving and intelligent cockpit technologies were displayed at the event on Thursday, including four Audi models and Toyota's BZ7 developed with Guangzhou Automobile.

While the automotive business remains a relatively small part of Huawei's portfolio, which also includes telecommunications, smartphones, and cloud computing, it has been the company's fastest-growing segment. Automotive-related sales surged 72% in 2025 to 45 billion yuan ($6.5 billion).

Huawei's overall revenue rose 2.2% last year to 880.9 billion yuan. The company also launched its latest Qiankun ADS advanced driving assistance system.

($1 = 6.8346 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Zhang Yan and Florence Lo. Editing by Sharon Singleton and Mark Potter)