Yu Chengdong Unveils "New Weapon"

Richard Yu is back at it again.

At the HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility Technology Launch on March 4th, Yu Chengdong dropped a “bomb”—dual optical path laser radar. This move demonstrates Huawei’s effort to solidify its dominance amid the rapid iteration of the smart driving industry and as FSD (Full Self-Driving) approaches market entry.

According to plans, the new laser radar will first be equipped on the Wey M9 and the Zeekr S800 flagship models. The M9 is a key pillar of the HarmonyOS intelligent mobility system in terms of sales and profit, while the S800 symbolizes Huawei’s push into higher price segments.

From the outside, it seems Yu Chengdong aims to use more advanced technology to create an additional moat for his high-end flagship models.

Meanwhile, the attack on the lower-tier market has also begun. Yu Chengdong introduced the first sedan coupe Z7 and the wagon Z7T from Shangjie, aiming to follow the “affordable alternative” route to Porsche Taycan and capture the mid-range young market.

The high-end market needs to maintain its advantage, while the young market needs to expand in scale.

For Yu Chengdong and HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility, crossing the million-unit mark is just the beginning. Behind the scenes is China’s highly competitive new energy vehicle market, where price wars and technological battles intertwine. The market’s questions about the next growth curve for HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility have already begun.

Show of Strength

In today’s automotive market, laser radar is no longer a rare feature, but “dual optical path” technology still presents a technical barrier in current mass production systems.

Huawei’s Smart Automotive Solutions BU CEO Jin Yuzhi explained that the new laser radar features Huawei’s first dual optical path architecture, achieving integrated dual focus with two different focal length laser receiving units—wide-angle and long-focus—forming a single imaging system.

Performance-wise, the new generation dual optical path image-level laser radar improves resolution by four times compared to the previous 192-line laser radar, enabling more accurate small object recognition. Thanks to the two focal lengths, the images can display a picture-in-picture effect, allowing both a global view via wide-angle and detailed feedback via long-focus.

Regarding obstacle detection, the new dual optical path laser radar can accurately identify small obstacles within 120 meters, recognizing objects over 14 centimeters in size. Jin Yuzhi said the 14-centimeter threshold is mainly because most vehicle chassis on roads today are higher than that.

Industry insiders told Wall Street News that traditional laser radars are limited by single optical systems—either wide-angle but short-range (easily missing distant details), or long-focus but narrow field of view (overlooking peripheral blind spots).

The cleverness of dual optical path technology lies in integrating two independent receiving units within a single radar, fundamentally solving the traditional dilemma of “fish or bear’s paw.”

Yu Chengdong said he started developing this laser radar when he was CEO of the Car Business Unit, taking several years from R&D to mass production. This new “killer move” will be used on Huawei’s flagship models—the Wey M9 and Zeekr S800.

Over the past year, the Wey M9 has become a “cornerstone” of Huawei’s automotive ecosystem. In the 500,000-yuan SUV market, the M9, with HarmonyOS cockpit, Huawei’s advanced intelligent driving, brand backing, and strong marketing, has become a phenomenon; the Zeekr S800 carries the mission of breaking into higher price tiers and is Huawei’s attempt in the luxury executive sedan segment with partners.

Both models are profit-driven, even becoming high-end market “volume models,” supporting the cash flow and brand elevation of HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility. An insider close to HarmonyOS told Wall Street News they are “profit cows” within the “Five Realms” ecosystem.

But the challenges are clear. The high-end market is never won solely by technology; brand, channels, service, financial strength, and continuous iteration are all critical. Industry insiders told Wall Street News that current efforts are focused on the “9 Series” flagship segment, and Yu Chengdong’s emphasis on dual optical path laser radar is, to some extent, about reinforcing the moat.

As intelligent driving becomes a standard selling point, both single laser radar and pure vision solutions are evolving. Without further technological advancement, the brand’s premium logic could be diluted.

Huawei’s approach has always been to lead with technological storytelling. This was true in smartphones, and it remains so in the automotive era.

From HarmonyOS to advanced ADS (Automated Driving Systems), from electric drive systems to vehicle OS ecosystems, every launch is a declaration of capability. The dual optical path laser radar continues this narrative and signals to the market—Huawei still aims to be at the forefront of high-end intelligent driving.

Therefore, on these two models that are crucial to industry standing and revenue, there is no room for compromise on technology. It’s also about consolidating Huawei’s leadership in the “second half” of intelligent mobility and ensuring these “profit cows” stay profitable long-term.

Scaling Up

But high-end is only one wing of HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility. On the same day, Shangjie unveiled its first coupe Z7, sending another signal: after stabilizing in the high-end, Huawei is actively expanding into younger markets and more affordable segments.

Shangjie Z7 is positioned as a fashionable tech coupe targeting young consumers. Meanwhile, Z7T, Huawei’s first wagon model from HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility, emphasizes style and spaciousness, aiming to find a new balance between design and practicality. The new vehicle is scheduled for release at the end of March, with a tight timeline to seize the spring car market window.

Currently, China’s new energy vehicle market shows a clear polarization.

On one side, high-end models still command a premium thanks to brand power and smart features; on the other, the 200,000 to 300,000 yuan segment has become the battleground for fierce price competition. Configuration levels are rapidly rising, but consumer expectations for smart features remain high.

In this context, if HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility only focuses on high-end, its growth ceiling will quickly appear. Shangjie’s entry is essentially a response to this challenge.

By adopting younger-oriented design language, bolder colors, and more cost-effective pricing strategies, Huawei hopes to extend the benefits of HarmonyOS cockpit and advanced intelligent driving to a broader consumer base. For Huawei, software ecosystem and user scale are always core assets.

The value of scale in the smart car era is further amplified.

First, hardware costs are diluted. High-end sensors (like laser radars, high-definition cameras), powerful chips, and other hardware are expensive. Only when vehicle sales reach a certain volume can bulk procurement improve bargaining power and reduce marginal costs.

Second, software R&D and data flywheels drive growth. Huawei has invested massive R&D funds into ADS high-level autonomous driving systems, and these costs need to be spread across more vehicles. More importantly, the evolution of intelligent driving depends on deep learning, which requires vast amounts of high-quality, diverse data.

Active travel trajectories of young users and complex urban scenarios continuously feed Huawei’s cloud computing centers, accelerating algorithm upgrades. This scale-driven technological moat is something no single high-end brand can build alone.

Moreover, the synergy between high-end and low-end markets can significantly enhance the stickiness of the HarmonyOS ecosystem. A young person graduating or starting their career might buy a Shangjie Z7 for its looks, cost-effectiveness, and tech appeal. As they age, accumulate wealth, and their family grows, they are likely to upgrade to a Wey M9 or Zeekr S800, trusting Huawei’s seamless cockpit experience and safety.

This is the user lifecycle management that automotive brands dream of. HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility aims to build a solid ecosystem barrier through different “Jie” (界) brands, making it difficult for users to switch to other brands once they are in.

Challenges

From Wey to Shangjie and Zunjie, Huawei’s brand layout is becoming clearer: high-end luxury, mid-to-high-end tech, and youthful trendsetting. In a sense, Huawei is shifting from “creating hit models” to “building systemic capabilities.”

However, while the strategic vision is grand, the actual implementation still faces significant challenges.

Dual-track development demands high resource allocation, supply chain management, and channel service capabilities.

Mass production and quality control of cutting-edge technologies like dual optical path laser radar are inherently difficult.

As the latest R&D “weapon,” ensuring performance remains top while controlling costs—so that Wey M9 and Zunjie S800 are not bottlenecked by core components—is a major test for Huawei’s supply chain team.

On the other hand, the success of Shangjie Z7 series, aimed at the youth market, depends not only on product strength but also on balancing costs and prices. In the fiercely competitive 100,000 to 200,000 yuan market, players like BYD, Geely, Changan, and many new entrants have already laid out extensive networks.

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