The Aito M5 is almost on the road in collaboration with Huawei. China is quickly becoming the largest consumer of EV vehicles in the world. Manufacturers like Tesla have opened up manufacturing plants in the country to make their electric vehicles available in larger numbers. However, even the largest EV manufacturer is struggling to keep up with demand, opening the door for other competitors to sweep in. Brands like Nio aim to take a large chunk of the EV market, and Huawei is the latest player to enter the battlefield. The Chinese tech giant has announced a new vehicle that will feature its HarmonyOS operating system. Meet the Aito M5.
The Aito M5 is an attempt to take on the Tesla Model Y, a very popular vehicle in the Chinese market. At the Huawei winter product launch, Richard Yu, executive director and CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group said that the M5, which runs on both electricity and gas would offer superior peak power and range to that of the Model Y. Of course, this isn’t a fair comparison since the M5 will have the advantage of a full tank of gas when its batteries run out.
“You will know whether it is premium or not by the sound. We are able to offer the ‘library grade’ quality experience.”
-Richard Yu, executive director and CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group
Huawei’s Aito M5: Cheaper than Tesla
If you’ve got an M5, you’ll be able to get your vehicle started with the click of a button on your Huawei smartwatch. Your Huawei smartwatch will act as a key fob to your car, much like a keyless entry remote.
Under the brand name “Aito”, a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary of Chongqing-based automobile manufacturer Sokon believes that turning your car into a smart device similar to your phone is the future. The “HarmonyOS” system was born out of necessity since Google, Inc. recently “banished” the company from using its Android operating system.
“Many rounds of sanctions of the past three years have plunged us into the longest winter because no winter is as long as three years… In spite of the great difficulties we have received strong support from consumers and partners across the globe.”
-Richard Yu
The M5 is the first car to wear the Aito name, which stands for “adding intelligence to auto.” The deliveries of the M5 are set to begin by the end of February after the Lunar New Year, and the prices are likely to start at around ¥250,000 ($39,000. – around $5,000 cheaper than the Tesla Model Y.)
