XINHUA – German carmaker BMW said it will work with Chinese tech giant Huawei to develop an in-car digital ecosystem specifically tailored for the Chinese market.
According to the German auto behemoth, the cooperation means a deep integration with Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT, the Chinese company’s self-developed operating system that was built independent of the Android architecture.
Built upon the operating system, BMW’s digital key functionality is set to debut later this year, allowing users to unlock, lock and start their vehicles using Huawei smartphones.
The integration with a Huawei smart interconnection solution will debut in 2026 on BMW’s locally produced next-generation electric models, the “Neue Klasse”.
“In China, nearly a quarter of our mobile application users rely on Huawei devices. By deeply integrating with the HarmonyOS ecosystem, BMW will enhance in-car applications and digital connectivity services for HarmonyOS users, elevating intelligent experiences in high-frequency use scenarios,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Region China Sean Green.
