Huawei has beaten Apple to the punch and released its first ever car in a way.
The car is actually the Seres SF5, which first debuted in 2019. Huawei has partnered with Seres to help develop the SUV and sell the refreshed version in its stores across China.
According to the spec sheet, the SF5 should be quite a powerhouse. It uses two electric motors to develop 405kW/820Nm, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine lying in wait as a range-extending generator. Battery range is 180km, but factoring in the range extender pushes that up to 1000km based on the rather generous NEDC test cycle.
The refreshed Seres SF5 was built in partnership with Huawei and looks a bit Urus-ish, doesnt it?
The company says the SF5 can hit 100kmh in 4.7 seconds, about the same as the most powerful Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV.
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So its not a fully electric vehicle, but its arguably a more efficient way to design a hybrid, as opposed to primarily using the petrol engine for propulsion. Nissans e-Power system works in a similar way.
Huawei helped build the in-car infotainment systems, which wont surprise you. Wonder if it will use 5G…
Huaweis contribution came, as you might expect, in the infotainment system. It will seamlessly connect with a smartphone, although its doubtful Huawei would accommodate Google phones, and it doesnt mention Apple CarPlay either.
The telecommunications giant also helped bolster the autonomous driving capabilities, with the SF5 offering adaptive cruise control, active steering assistance and something called road congestion assistance which, presumably, uses the satellite navigation systems to avoid traffic jams.
Meanwhile, Apple may have found new partners for its own EV project. A report from Korea Times suggests Apple is finalising deals with LG and Magna International to build its long-rumoured automobile. Last year, it was reported that Apple and Hyundai or Kia were joining forces on the project, but partnership fell by the wayside.
And, in any case, both Huawei and Apple lost the smartphone-maker-to-car-maker race long ago. Samsung has been selling rebadged Renaults and Nissans in South Korea since 1998.
