At tonight’s Huawei QianKun Ecosystem Conference, Dongfeng (DFAC) and Huawei QianKun unveiled a new electric vehicle brand, “Yijing.” This brand represents the latest outcome of their collaboration in intelligence. According to the introduction, Yijing’s first model will formally debut at next year’s Beijing Auto Show.
At the launch event, Dongfeng Yipai Auto Technology Company’s CEO, Wang Junjun, explained that the inception of Yijing took three years, driven by a joint team from both parties, with users also participating in co-creation for brand naming and initial demand surveys. The brand is ultimately positioned as an intelligent new energy vehicle for family users, emphasizing long-term competitiveness in safety, intelligent driving, and cabin experience. This positioning reflects a shifting trend in the domestic automotive market, where family users’ focus on new energy vehicles is gradually moving from basic indicators like range to intelligent capabilities and comprehensive usage experience.
Compared to the common supplier model in the industry supply chain, Yijing adopts a more integrated R&D approach. According to the on-site information, Huawei will provide comprehensive solutions in intelligent driving, intelligent cabins, and vehicle-cloud collaboration, while opening related R&D systems and quality management processes. DFAC will take the lead in vehicle architecture, manufacturing processes, and supply chain systems. Both teams advance the project through joint offices, making the process from definition to engineering implementation more seamless.
This collaboration model has not emerged suddenly. Cooperation between Dongfeng and Huawei began over a decade ago, initially focusing on technologies related to intelligent connectivity. In recent years, with the acceleration of smart electrification, both companies have achieved cooperation results in both independent and joint venture brand projects. This new brand presentation is regarded by outsiders as a further deepening of their cooperation from technical points to complete vehicle projects.
In terms of product planning, Dongfeng revealed that Yijing’s first model will officially debut at the 2026 Beijing International Auto Show and gradually expand into a multi-tier model matrix thereafter.
The competitive landscape in the intelligent new energy market has entered a deepwater zone, where the systemic capability from software to complete vehicles is key to differentiation for car companies. For Dongfeng and Huawei, Yijing is an attempt to break out of traditional divisions of labor and create intelligent products through a deeply integrated approach. Its ultimate effectiveness will be revealed by future mass production models.
This article is a translation by AI of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.