(Yicai) Feb. 13 -- Huawei Technologies’ Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance has joined the latest round of the price war in China’s automobile industry.

HIMA yesterday launched its first promotional campaign of this year, offering a new financing policy with no interest for three years or low interest rates for five years for its new Luxeed S7, co-developed with Chery Automobile, which could save customers up to CNY17,000 (USD2,300). The policy requires a CNY79,800 downpayment.

Chinese new energy vehicle startup Nio announced on Feb. 1 that it would introduce a five-year payment plan with zero interest and a 20 percent downpayment for a limited period.

On Feb. 5, Tesla unveiled its largest-ever discount package for the Model 3 series in China. The US EV giant is offering an insurance subsidy of CNY8,000 (USD1,100) for all Model 3s and a five-year payment plan with zero interests and special auto charging rights.

On the same day, Chinese NEV Xpeng Motors launched a five-year payment policy with no interest and zero downpayment, covering several models, including the new X9, and SAIC Motor’s EV brand IM Motors cut the starting price of the L6 by 15 percent to CNY189,900 (USD26,000).

Changan Automobile introduced on Feb. 7 a three-year zero-interest financing policy and a CNY10,000 special discount for selected in-stock vehicles under its EV marque Avatr.

February has been a very active month for Chinese automakers, as in addition to promotional campaigns and discounts, they have also unveiled partnerships and technological achievements related to artificial intelligence and smart driving.

Several Chinese auto brands, including Baojun under SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile, Geely Automobile Holdings, and IM Motors, have announced the integration of AI startup DeepSeek’s large language model in their cars to improve smart driving functions.

BYD’s Chairman Wang Chuanfu announced on Feb. 11 that the world’s largest NEV maker will equip all its car models, including some priced at as low as CNY69,800, with its newly launched advanced autonomous driving system God’s Eye.

On the same day, Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei’s Intelligent Automotive Solutions business unit, said that HIMA will reveal breakthrough technologies for its Maextro models this month. Huawei develops Maextro-branded electric cars in cooperation with JAC Group.

Carmakers with strong data capabilities can achieve cost-effective intelligence by using LLMs like DeepSeek’s, said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association. The fierce competition in the Chinese auto market is likely to continue as companies strive to break through scale advantages and technological barriers, Cui predicted.

The popularization of intelligent driving technologies will intensify competition in China while further lowering technological barriers, according to a research report by Haitong International.

Industry experts believe that the next three to five years will be crucial for market consolidation, with intelligent capabilities becoming a decisive factor for success.

Editor: Futura Costaglione