(Yicai Global) July 28 -- Guangzhou Automobile Group will spend up to CNY100 billion (USD15.4 billion) to develop and commercialize intelligent, connected new energy vehicles, the carmaker’s chairman said yesterday.

With this investment, electric autos should account for 20 percent of GAC’s output by 2025 and half by 2035, Zeng Qinghong said at an investor open day.

GAC has been partnering with a number of internet technology giants such as Huawei Technologies, Didi Chuxing, Tencent Holdings and iFlytek as it needs their artificial intelligence and Big Data know-how to build smart cars.

The partnership between GAC and Shenzhen-based Huawei is particularly close. Huawei is sharing its latest technologies first with Guangzhou-based GAC, rather than its other partners such as Beijing Automotive Group and Chongqing Changan Automobile, a company insider told Yicai Global.

Unit GAC Aion New Energy Automobile is running a CNY800 million (USD123 million) project with Huawei to develop their own mid-sized intelligent all-electric sport utility vehicle model. The pair also plan to build a new generation of smart auto digital platform based on GAC's chassis design and Huawei's computing and communications architecture technology.

The company has also been poaching top talent in the last few years, such as Japanese lithium-ion battery expert Shigeru Oishi and AI and Big Data expert Chen Xuewen. GAC wants to form a smart connected technology research and development team that is 3,000-people strong, Zeng said.

Editors: Liao Shumin, Kim Taylor