Huawei's former software VP joins Li Auto to speed up self-developed chips

By Kate Yuan

Xie Yan, Huawei’s former vice president of software department of consumer business group, has joined China’s EV startup Li Auto as the head of the system R&D department, according to tech media 36kr on August 30. He is responsible for the R&D of forward-looking technologies, and ranks second only to Li Xiang, founder and CEO of Li Auto.

Xie’s department is in charge of the R&D of underlying intelligent technologies, including the company’s self-developed operating system and computing power platform.

Li Auto's computing power platform business is developing smart driving chips. The team already has dozens of people and a detailed schedule for mass production. 

Xie Yan joined Alibaba in early 2014 and participated in the internet car project jointly initiated by Alibaba and SAIC. He also served as the general manager and chief architect of AliOS. He left Alibaba in 2019, and joined Huawei, serving as the vice president of the consumer business group's software department and the director of the OS department. （校对/张为民）