The premium smart EV market in China just got another data point proving its appetite. On May 16, 2026, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (鸿蒙智行) announced that the new generation AITO M9 series has accumulated over 50,000 pre-orders since opening reservations on April 22.
Pricing starts at 499,800 yuan (~$69,300) for the standard model and climbs to 669,800 yuan (~$92,900) for the Ultimate flagship edition. These are not mass-market prices—and yet the order book is filling faster than many mainstream EVs.
What’s New
The new M9 arrives with substantial hardware upgrades across the board:
- Dual-chamber dual-valve air suspension with rear-wheel steering
- Six LiDAR units for 360-degree environmental perception
- ADS 5, Huawei’s latest autonomous driving system, debuting on this platform
- 800V high-voltage architecture across all variants
- Extended-range options with 60 kWh and 75 kWh batteries; pure-electric variant packs a 120 kWh pack
The Ultimate edition adds a 2.0T range-extender, tri-motor setup, steer-by-wire technology, and exclusive exterior and interior design elements.
The Huawei Advantage
AITO’s success is inseparable from Huawei’s technology stack. The M9 runs on HarmonyOS, leverages Huawei’s full-stack ADS autonomous driving solution, and benefits from the company’s brand halo in the Chinese market. For buyers, the pitch is simple: this is the most Huawei car you can buy without it being a Huawei-branded car.
The pre-order numbers suggest the formula is working. At an average selling price well above 500,000 yuan, 50,000 reservations represent roughly 25 billion yuan (~$3.5 billion) in committed demand—a figure that would make many luxury automakers envious.
Market Context
China’s premium EV segment is increasingly crowded. Li Auto’s L9 Livis, priced at 509,800 yuan, launched the same week with its own suite of advanced features. NIO’s Onvo L80, starting at 242,800 yuan, targets a slightly lower tier but still competes for family-oriented buyers. Xiaomi’s YU7 GT is due at the end of May, adding another well-funded challenger.
Yet AITO has something its rivals lack: the deepest integration with a domestic tech ecosystem that consumers already trust. As smart cars become more like rolling smartphones, that integration may matter more than horsepower or range.
Sources: IT之家, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance