Toyota Partners with Three Chinese Companies to Aid EV Development

KatadataOTO – Automotive manufacturers from China are currently known for their diverse line of environmentally friendly vehicles. Despite being offered at affordable prices, Chinese EVs (Electric Vehicles) are feature-rich.

In China, many Japanese manufacturers are finally collaborating with local producers to avoid being left behind in the electrification era.

Therefore, the joint venture between Toyota and GAC in China is partnering with several other well-known companies, namely Huawei, Xiaomi, and Momenta, to develop environmentally friendly cars.

Reported by Carnewschina, on Thursday (12/05) at the Technology Day 2025 event, they introduced two NEV (New Energy Vehicle) platforms, a new generation electric vehicle platform, and a new hybrid system.

Photo : Toyota

They then agreed to collaborate on localizing the AI ecosystem under the China R&D (Research and Development) 2.0 initiative.

The developed platform can later be used for electric cars, PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles), and EREVs (Extended Range Electric Vehicles) with a maximum length of 5,300 mm.

The first model to be built on that platform is the bZ7 electric sedan, scheduled to launch in March 2026.

Then, Toyota will launch its latest PHEV technology to be embedded in products for the Chinese market in 2027, namely the Sienna and Highlander.

Together with Xiaomi, various smart gadgets from the brand will be integrated into Toyota's vehicle lineup in China, making vehicle feature operations easier and seamless.

Huawei will supply the Harmony OS 5.0 software, Kirin Chip, and a 15.6-inch infotainment screen for the bZ7 electric sedan.

Finally, Momenta will support the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) for the bZ3X model and introduce 50 new features for the Toyota electric car.

The system is claimed to be able to adapt to complex driving conditions and even predict driver behavior through data.

Photo : GAC Toyota

By 2028, Toyota models in China will have sensors that can comprehensively detect the driver's posture and condition during moments of inattention or driving fatigue.

These various Chinese companies will also begin to take over responsibility for the design of Toyota vehicles.

In the future, the latest generations of the Camry, Sienna, and Highlander will be designed by Chinese engineers.