Huawei First Electric Car Has Arrived

The Chinese manufacturer Huawei, together with the carmaker Seres, presented the first car in which the in-house Android-based Huawei Harmony OS is supposed to take on various tasks. The Seres Aito M5 is not a purely electric car, but a hybrid vehicle.

As part of the presentation of its latest products last week, Huawei introduced the Aito M5, the first car to use HarmonyOS. The car is produced by the Chinese car manufacturer Seres, which is part of the Sokon industrial group, which began manufacturing vehicles for the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki under license decades ago.

Huawei delivers more technology than you might initially think

According to Huawei, it has a major influence on the equipment of the Aito M5 and provides, among other things, the connectivity systems in the form of modems and the onboard computers as well as the Harmony OS operating system in a version adapted for use in vehicles, which is capable, among other things is to identify the user via 3D face recognition. This is intended to adapt the operation, navigation, and setting of the seats to the respective driver.

During the presentation of the Aito M5, HarmonyOS could not only be seen on a large multimedia display in the middle of the dashboard but also in the area of ​​the instrument cluster. The main display should deliver impressive picture quality with a diagonal of 15.6 inches and a 2K resolution as well as HDR support, with Huawei again emphasizing that the panel has a minimal frame.

Smartphone and user data are deeply integrated into the car

Through the connection to the driver’s smartphone, the preferred apps, contacts, and various other data are displayed and the design settings of the mobile device are adopted. Of course, as is now common, there is also the option of voice control of the multimedia system. In addition, Huawei uses the in-house map solution PetalMaps for navigation, which is also offered on its smartphones.

It is also interesting to have several apps displayed side by side on the infotainment system. Navigation can take up two-thirds of the screen, while the remaining third can be used to control music playback or make phone calls.

Even the sound system comes from Huawei

However, Huawei not only lets its computer technology and software flow into the Aito M5 but also contributes an audio system called “Huawei Sound” with a peak power of more than 1000 watts, with a central tweeter on the dashboard and on request A total of six further loudspeaker positions along the sides of the car and four loudspeakers are integrated into the headrest of the driver’s seat. This means that the vehicle should be able to offer 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound.

In connection with the large touchscreen in the dashboard and the HarmonyOS-based software running on it, the owners of the Aito M5 should be able to enjoy numerous films and other content in high quality via streaming or local storage media. Huawei is also integrating its SuperCharge technology for charging mobile devices into the vehicle so that smartphones and laptops can be charged with up to 66 watts via cable and with a maximum of 40 watts wirelessly.

Huawei technology is even to be found under the hood: According to its own information, the company is also equipping the Aito M5 with a system called HuaweiDrive to control the hybrid combination of a 1.5-liter turbo engine and powerful electric motors.

However, Huawei’s commitment to electric cars has a catch. The company is still under pressure from the US embargo, which now ensures that the Aito M5 can only be connected to the Internet via LTE Advanced.

The Seres Aito M5 is to be delivered to the first customers as early as the second half of February 2022, with Huawei quoting a starting price of around 35,000 euros, including the government subsidies for the purchase of hybrid vehicles in China.