New Avita 12 (阿维塔) Launches with Huawei (华为) 896‑Line LiDAR as Standard — 0–100 km/h in 2.71s, from ¥293,900

Sharp positioning: lidar, speed and a premium cabin

Avita (阿维塔) unveiled the new Avita 12 at a launch event, positioning the model as a tech‑heavy premium EV with autonomous driving hardware fitted as standard. The car’s headline specs: it is offered from ¥293,900 (roughly $41,000) and the top three‑motor configuration reportedly accelerates 0–100 km/h in 2.71 seconds. Fast enough to challenge some sports cars? Quite possibly — at least on paper.

Hardware and powertrain details

The Avita 12 ships standard with what it has been reported that Huawei (华为) describes as a global mass‑production 896‑line lidar unit mounted in the nose, and the B‑pillar carries Huawei’s QianKun (乾崑) assisted‑driving branding. The cockpit runs HarmonyOS (鸿蒙) and features a 35.4‑inch 4K panoramic “star ring” screen, a squared steering wheel with dedicated one‑tap voice and Boost buttons, velvet luxury headliner and a dual silvered sunroof.

Under the skin the car uses Taixing distributed electric drive architecture with options for a range‑extender 1.5T plus dual rear motors (52.01 kWh battery, reported pure‑electric range 261 km) and pure‑EV layouts with rear twin motors or a three‑motor four‑wheel‑drive variant. Avita says the platform uses a six‑core main controller with more than 40 billion operations per second and claims up to 100× faster torque response versus traditional mechanical AWD. Battery supplier CATL (宁德时代) provides a 98.07 kWh “6C” fast‑charge pack that Avita lists as delivering 735 km, 670 km and 605 km ranges for different trims, with a 38%→80% charge in about 10 minutes.

Why this matters — and the geopolitical backdrop

For Western readers, the launch underscores Huawei’s deepening role in China’s auto tech stack: from in‑car software to lidar and assisted driving systems — a trend accelerated as Chinese OEMs integrate domestic suppliers to reduce reliance on Western components. It has been reported that Huawei’s sensor and compute push comes amid ongoing U.S. export controls that have constrained the company’s access to some advanced chips; domestic partnerships with battery, chip and auto makers are therefore strategically important. Whether the Avita 12’s lidar‑first strategy translates into superior real‑world driver assistance will depend on software maturity and regulatory approvals — and on how quickly rivals respond.