(Yicai Global) June 30 -- China's Huawei Technologies is launching a new concept of smart electric vehicle stores to accommodate its widening group of automotive partners with unified branding.

The telecoms giant is opening new stores with its partners Seres Group, Chery Automobile, Jianghuai Automobile Group, and BAIC Group's Arcfox, the Shenzhen-based company said to Yicai Global exclusively.

Huawei is also making room for cars in its cellphone stores. Existing store owners are the preferred candidates to run the new concept but there is also some quota for external investors, Yicai Global learned from multiple sources.

As of last year, about 1,000 Huawei phone stores exhibited and sold Aito-branded models, manufactured by Seres which has been cooperating with Huawei for a long time. But space is becoming limited as Huawei is signing new automotive software deals with carmakers. Although Huawei does not manufacture automobiles, it is involved in design, user experience, and quality management.

For Huawei, it is important to maintain consistent branding. Aito-branded models are made by Seres, but Chery, BAIC, and JAC will also soon join, Richard Yu, chief executive of Huawei's smart car business unit, said in April. “Our marketing, services, and retail will become quite complicated if each carmaker uses different marques. That's why we hope to use common elements and branding.”

Editors: Liao Shumin, Emmi Laine