Changan and Midea Deepen Smart Automobile Alliance

The strategic alliance is focused on smart manufacturing, parts, and connected living experiences in the next-generation cars.

Changan Automobile and Midea Group enter into a strategic cooperation contract in Foshan, Guangdong, a major development in the transformation of the Chinese automotive ecosystem. The core themes under which the collaboration is centered include automotive components, intelligent manufacturing and integrated "human-car-home" ecosystems.

The partners will also enhance collaboration in the components of new-energy vehicles under the agreement, making use of the Wuling Automotive Components unit of Midea. The major ones are thermal management systems, chassis actuation, motors, electronic controls, compressors, and other essential technologies to sustain the future automobile value chain.

Other upgrades that the alliance aims at include smart manufacturing. Using the experience of Midea in the field of digitalization, automation, logistics, and AIoT, Changan will digitalize production lines, implement industrial robots and AGVs, and improve digital management at the enterprise level. Such undertakings will enhance efficiency and flexibility in the overall manufacture of automobiles.

One of the achievements of the alliance is the "car-controls-home" option that is introduced to the Changan Qiyuan Q05. The mass market allows people to go through home appliances using voice commands on the road, enhancing the merge between motor technology and intelligent living. Its feature will be launched through OTA updates on several models.

In the future, both companies will move beyond technical integration of cars and homes, moving forward to the actual experience of the user to strengthen the role played by Changan in the intelligent automobile environment.