Why BMW’s Neue Klasse in China Will Speak Huawei’s Language

BMW and Huawei: A Custom-Built OS for China’s EV Market

In the race to future-proof its electric vehicles, BMW is doing what savvy carmakers have long learned: tailor your product to your customer. And in China—the world’s largest EV market—that means working closely with Huawei.

This week, BMW confirmed it will integrate Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT and HiCar into its next-generation Neue Klasse electric vehicles produced locally in China. For the rest of the world? The Neue Klasse will stick with BMW’s iDrive X system, which runs on Android Automotive.

This is localization in action.

Why China Needs a Different Approach

Sean Green, BMW Group Region China’s President and CEO, put it plainly: nearly one in four Chinese users of BMW’s My BMW app are also Huawei users. That’s a significant overlap BMW can’t ignore.

"China has emerged as a global engine of innovation," Green noted. And he’s right—Chinese drivers increasingly favor tech that’s homegrown and integrated into their daily digital lives.

Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT system, a Google-free evolution of the previous HarmonyOS, gives BMW the opportunity to provide a more seamless, localized digital experience, bridging smartphones and dashboards like never before.

It’s More Than Just Infotainment

Sure, it’s about making things smoother for Huawei users who want to unlock their BMW with their phone or have their apps just “work” when they step inside their EV. But BMW is also playing the long game.

With Chinese tech ecosystems booming, BMW is aligning itself with Huawei’s growing influence—not just for infotainment, but also for AI-driven voice assistants, generative AI, and smart mobility services that match the expectations of modern Chinese drivers.

In fact, BMW will begin rolling out features like a HarmonyOS-based digital key later this year in China, well before the full Neue Klasse rollout in 2026.

A New Template for Automakers

The writing on the wall is clear: Western automakers are no longer just exporting cars to China—they are building China-specific products and digital ecosystems. Audi is doing it too.

In many ways, this is a glimpse into the future of automotive globalization: cars that share a badge but differ under the skin based on where they’re sold.

For BMW, tapping into Huawei’s HarmonyOS isn’t just a tech decision, it’s a cultural one. Neue Klasse models sold in Europe and the U.S. will keep Android-powered iDrive X. But in China, it’s Huawei’s world—and BMW is more than happy to plug in.

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