Huarong Zhu, the newly appointed chairman of China Changan Automobile Group (CCAG), visited Shenzhen and met with Huawei founder Zhengfei Ren. The two exchanged views on industry competition dynamics and future development strategies.
This meeting not only signifies China's third-largest automaker's commitment to deepening cooperation with Huawei but also signals that the "CHN alliance"—comprising CCAG, Huawei, and CATL—will strengthen collaboration to jointly compete for leadership in the global electric vehicle (EV) market.
New chairman meets Ren within 11 days of appointment
On July 29, 2025, CCAG officially registered its establishment in Chongqing, marking the birth of another major Chinese automotive enterprise.
CCAG integrates resources from China South Industries Group, spanning businesses across complete vehicles, components, and sales.
According to Sina and Securities Times, on August 8, 2025, Zhu met with Ren, Huawei rotating chairman Eric Xu, executive director, and consumer BG chairman Richard Yu, among other senior executives.
The interaction highlights CCAG's emphasis on intelligent transformation and Huawei's technology. Industry analysts suggest this meeting was more than a routine courtesy call; it likely served as a strategic discussion for future cooperation between both parties.
CCAG and Huawei possibly explored competitive industry trends and future development frameworks. Leveraging Huawei's strong expertise in communications, chip technology, and smart driving, Ren provided advice to CCAG and its premium brand Avatr.
Avatr—a flagship brand under the CHN model
A key focus of the talks was Avatr, a premium EV brand co-created by CCAG, Huawei, and CATL.
Originally established in 2018 as "Changan-Nio," the venture struggled until Nio withdrew in 2021. Subsequently, CCAG introduced Huawei and CATL as partners, formally establishing the CHN alliance.
Under this innovative model, CCAG continues full-vehicle R&D and manufacturing, Huawei provides leading intelligent automotive solutions, and CATL manages battery energy ecosystems. This complementary partnership builds a robust EV brand platform.
In July 2025, Avatr sold 10,062 units, representing an approximately 178% year-over-year increase and maintaining over 10,000 monthly sales for five consecutive months.
While CCAG and Huawei have collaborated for years, the recent meeting between Zhu and Ren undoubtedly opens new possibilities for future cooperation.
Article translated by Charlene Chen and edited by Jack Wu
