A subsidiary of Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC is entering into a strategic joint venture for the China market with the technology company Xingji Meizu Group.
The joint venture is expected to strengthen Polestar’s offering in the Chinese EV market by bringing together Polestar’s capabilities within design and performance with the software and consumer-electronics hardware development expertise of Xingji Meizu, according to Polestar.
“China is one of the fastest-growing EV markets in the world,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “It’s also a market with very specific consumer trends, including increasing levels of integration between consumer electronics devices and vehicles. By partnering with a company that has a strong complementary competence to our own, we will be able to offer the locally tailored user experience that both drivers and passengers expect.”
The joint venture will develop Xingji Meizu’s existing technology platform, Flyme Auto, into a seamless operating system for Polestar cars sold in China, including in-car apps, streaming services and intelligent vehicle software, the company said.
This will be complemented by mobile and augmented-reality devices and customer apps, creating a seamless digital ecosystem. Polestar expects to transfer around 130 commercial staff in China to the new company, which will be the sole authorized Polestar sales and service entity in China.
Polestar will own 49% of the joint-venture company equity, with the remaining 51% to be owned by Xingji Meizu, which will be taking responsibility for arranging the joint venture’s future financing beyond the initial capital provided by Polestar and Xingji Meizu.
“The future of our industry will be enabled by integrated devices and platforms that deliver an immersive experience for end users,” Meizu Chairman Ziyu Shen Xingji said. “With the support of the progressive technology of Xingji Meizu, Polestar will take the lead in the field of smart mobility. By working closely together, we will create even better products and offer users a seamless experience across a multitude of devices.”
Xingji Meizu has approximately 2,600 employees focused on developing a portfolio of mobile devices, and wearable smart devices that utilize extended-reality technologies. Xingji Meizu’s founder is Eric (Shufu) Li, the chairman of Geely Holding Group, one of China’s largest automakers, and the ultimate beneficial owner of Polestar.
Polestar continues to embrace its close collaboration with Google. Polestar cars in the rest of the world will still feature infotainment systems powered by Android Automotive OS.
