BMW Neue Klasse EVs in China Will Use Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT

BMW teams up with Huawei to use its HarmonyOS NEXT system in upcoming Neue Klasse EVs for the Chinese market.

BMW is due to unveil its first Neue Klasse-based model later this year, the next-gen iX3, and we’ve been getting more details about this new all-electric SUV ahead of its launch. One of the more polarising updates came in yesterday, as BMW has announced a partnership with Huawei to integrate the Chinese tech giant’s HarmonyOS NEXT vehicle operating system into its next-gen Neue Klasse EVs produced in China.

BMW's new Panoramic iDrive system will be use in future Neue Klasse EVs for the global markets.

This means that future Neue Klasse EVs in China, including the upcoming iX3, will be using Huawei’s proprietary technology instead of BMW’s own iDrive X system, which is loosely based on Google’s Android Automotive OS. This was part of the Bavarian automaker’s plan to its strategy, with China being its most profitable market for EV sales last year.

BMW Group Region China President and CEO Sean Green said this partnership underlines the automaker’s increasing alignment with China’s tech ecosystem, where nearly 25% of its mobile application users rely on Huawei devices. With that being said, the collaboration aims to enhance in-car applications and digital connectivity for HarmonyOS users in China, ensuring seamless integration between Huawei smartphones and BMW vehicles.

On a broader scope, BMW’s decision to adopt Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT exclusively in China reflects the Great Wall nation’s rapid digital transformation and the growing preference for self-developed ecosystems instead of relying on global giants like Google and Apple.

Unlike its previous iterations, the new HarmonyOS NEXT system operates independently from Google’s Android architecture, thus allowing Huawei to build a localised, fully integrated system for its new OS. Among the features and functions Chinese BMW owners can expect to find in future Harmony OS NEXT-powered Neue Klasse EVs is the digital key function. Set to arrive later this year, this function allows drivers in China to unlock, lock, and even start their BMW vehicles just by using their Huawei smartphones.

Beyond the integration of the HarmonyOS NEXT system, this partnership will also see BMW accelerating its cooperation with Chinese technology partners, particularly in artificial intelligence, intelligent voice interaction, and large language models. The Bavarian automaker currently runs four major R&D centres in China—Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Nanjing—thus making China its largest R&D hub outside of Germany.