Huawei (华为) executive Yu Chengdong (余承东): All-new AITO (问界) M9 series achieves over 11,000 firm pre-orders in 1 hour

Quick take

Huawei executive Yu Chengdong (余承东), who heads the company’s consumer devices business, announced on Weibo that the all‑new AITO (问界) M9 series logged more than 11,000 firm pre‑orders within the first hour of availability; it has been reported that this figure refers to confirmed deposits rather than tentative reservations. Yu also touted “over 40 industry‑first technologies” and declared the HarmonyOS‑driven (鸿蒙智行) M9 “the most powerful SUV on the market,” a claim the company made at today’s launch and that industry observers say will invite scrutiny from rivals.

Pricing and customer offers

The new M9 was priced from ¥479,800 for the standard model, with the Ultimate extended‑length version starting at ¥649,800, and the car is available for immediate delivery upon launch. Early buyers can reportedly access up to ¥52,000 in purchase incentives during the initial sales period, and existing owners are eligible for up to ¥50,000 in tail‑payment reductions as swap‑in incentives. Huawei’s announcement emphasizes rapid rollout and aggressive customer benefits to convert early interest into sales.

Strategic context

Why does this matter beyond a strong first‑hour number? AITO is a Huawei‑backed brand that showcases the company’s push into electric vehicles and software‑defined cars as it seeks new growth amid U.S. sanctions that have constrained its access to advanced chips and traditional smartphone markets. Automobiles offer Huawei a path to leverage its software, connectivity and AI stack at scale — but competition is intense from domestic EV leaders such as BYD and NIO. Can initial pre‑order momentum translate into sustained market share? That will depend on real‑world deliveries, service quality and whether Huawei can continue to integrate hardware and HarmonyOS software in a supply‑chain constrained environment.