Looking back at January, China's auto industry saw a fresh wave of joint ventures and partnerships. Highlights include BYD signing a strategic MoU with ExxonMobil, Changan Auto teaming up with Midea Group, ECARX securing a $45.6 million strategic investment from Geely Holding, CATL and NIO inking a five-year strategic pact, and Magna deepening its collaboration with NVIDIA. Here is a roundup of the major joint ventures and partnerships that took place in January 2026.
Automakers
BYD and ExxonMobil Sign Strategic Cooperation MoU
On January 27, BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd. and ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co., Ltd. signed a long-term strategic memorandum of understanding at BYD's headquarters in Shenzhen, marking a new stage in their collaboration on new energy hybrid technology.
Image Source: BYD
Previously, the two companies jointly launched the BYD Mobil™ Hybrid Dedicated engine oil series. Designed specifically for plug-in hybrid vehicles, the product improves fuel economy and offers water handling capabilities and emulsion stability. It addresses moisture issues common in plug-in hybrid engines during low-temperature, short-trip operations, providing lubrication protection to ensure smooth running across various conditions.
Building on this, both sides will leverage their capabilities in joint research and commercialization. They plan to deepen cooperation in areas such as customized product development, technical synergy, joint standard-setting, and brand support. Additionally, they will explore collaborative innovation in new materials, aiming to drive the industry toward sustainable and intelligent development and achieve the long-term goal of a "strong alliance for mutual success."
Overall, this partnership not only solidifies the supply chain foundation for BYD's global expansion but also promotes the sustainable and robust development of the new energy hybrid industry through dual support in technology and ecosystem.
Chery Automobile and eHi Car Services Reach Strategic Partnership
On January 23, Chery Automobile and eHi Car Services signed a strategic agreement in Wuhu, Anhui, with an on-site delivery of 5,000 new vehicles. This delivery marks deeper collaboration in mobility services since the two first partnered in 2025 and represents the largest single-batch centralized delivery in Chery's history.
Image Source: Chery Automobile
The delivered vehicles span multiple categories, including SUVs and sedans, featuring core models like the Tiggo 8, Tiggo 7, Jetour Traveler, Jetour X70, and Arrizo 5. With their space, performance, and versatility, these models cover diverse scenarios—from family outings and self-driving tours to business trips and economy short-term rentals—meeting eHi's operational needs for short-term, long-term, and corporate fleets.
According to the strategic agreement, the next phase will focus on customized vehicle development, intelligent mobility services, and overseas market expansion. The companies plan to extend their collaboration from product delivery to ecosystem building, leveraging their combined resources to offer users a more eco-friendly, convenient, and comfortable travel experience, jointly driving the robust development of China's mobility service industry.
This partnership not only marks a new stage in Chery's large-scale expansion into the mobility services market but also establishes an industry benchmark for collaborative innovation between domestic automotive brands and mobility platforms, upgrading the user experience through resource integration.
Changan Automobile and Midea Group Forge Partnership
On January 21, Changan Automobile and Midea Group held a signing ceremony for a comprehensive strategic agreement at Midea's headquarters in Foshan, Guangdong. The two sides will deepen collaboration across three core dimensions: automotive core components, intelligent manufacturing, and the "human-vehicle-home" ecosystem. Leveraging Midea's full-stack capabilities in electromechanical technology, industrial automation, and AIoT, the partnership aims to support Changan's comprehensive upgrade from parts supply and manufacturing to the smart mobility ecosystem.
Image Source: Changan Automobile
Under the agreement, the two will deepen cooperation in new energy vehicle core components. Midea will leverage the technological and product strengths of its Welling Auto Parts unit in thermal management systems and chassis actuation systems to advance collaboration in areas such as motors, electronic controls, compressors, and thermal management.
This cross-sector integration not only injects core momentum into Changan's transformation into a smart, low-carbon mobility technology company but also drives the "human-vehicle-home" smart ecosystem from technical synergy to tangible user experience.
Geely Increases Strategic Stake in ECARX with $45.6 Million Investment
On January 12, ECARX announced it had signed a share subscription agreement with Geely Investment Holding Co., Ltd. (Geely Holding Group) on January 8, 2026.
Under the agreement, Geely Holding Group will subscribe to a total of 27,297,002 newly issued Class A ordinary shares of ECARX at a price of $1.67 per share via private placement, representing a total investment of $45.6 million. The ordinary shares issued in this placement will be subject to a six-month lock-up period, with certain exceptions.
This strategic increase not only injects sufficient funds into ECARX for the R&D and global expansion of core software and hardware solutions—such as smart cockpits, autonomous driving, and in-vehicle chip modules—but also further solidifies Geely's foundation in the automotive intelligence supply chain. It strengthens deep collaboration in key technical fields like intelligent driving platforms and central computing platforms.
VOYAH and Yinwang to Jointly Develop Intelligent Driving Tech and Smart Cockpits
On January 12, Voyah Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (VOYAH) and Shenzhen Yinwang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (Yinwang), a holding subsidiary of Huawei, signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The partnership will deepen collaboration in the joint development of intelligent driving and smart cockpits, as well as the joint operation of consumer-facing (To C) software.
Image Source: VOYAH
According to the agreement, the two parties will establish a joint To C software operation team to achieve full-value-chain cooperation from product planning to user operations. This aims to accelerate the marketization of software services and provide users with more useful, engaging, and intelligent software experiences. Additionally, they will deepen cooperation in marketing promotion and brand standards to jointly drive vehicle sales and expand market scale.
This collaboration will not only improve development efficiency, accelerate vehicle launch cycles, and speed up the commercialization of software services, but also help Voyah advance the commercial deployment of L3-level intelligent driving.
BAIC BJEV and Pony.ai Launch "Cooperation 2.0"
On January 10, Pony.ai and BAIC BJEV launched a "five-in-one" comprehensive deep strategic cooperation, marking the start of "Cooperation 2.0." Building on their successful experience in the mass production and operation of L4 Robotaxis, the two sides will comprehensively expand the breadth and depth of their partnership, focusing on the mass production, commercialization, and globalization of autonomous driving.
Image Source: Pony.ai
Anchored by five core pillars—"product co-creation, market expansion, industry chain integration, ecosystem building, and capital integration"—the partnership involves mobilizing hundreds of millions in resources to drive the coordinated development of the intelligent driving industry, shifting collaboration from a single project to full-system synergy.
Through this partnership, BAIC BJEV leverages Pony.ai's L4 full-stack technology and operational experience to consolidate its competitive edge in the intelligent driving sector. Pony.ai, meanwhile, relies on BAIC's supply chain resources to further reduce costs and improve efficiency, while scaled operational data feeds back into technical iteration to enhance system adaptability.
In this collaboration, BAIC BJEV further solidifies its competitive position in the intelligent driving race using Pony.ai's L4 full-stack technology and operational expertise. Conversely, Pony.ai draws support from BAIC's vehicle manufacturing capabilities, compliance qualifications, and channel resources to accelerate the pre-installation and large-scale deployment of intelligent driving systems.
Supply Chain
Black Sesame Technologies Technologies and Baidu Apollo Go Forge Strategic Partnership
On January 29, Black Sesame Technologies Technologies and Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing platform, signed a strategic cooperation agreement.
Image Source: Black Sesame Technologies Technologies
Under the agreement, Black Sesame Technologies will serve as the computing chip technology support unit for product development within Apollo Go's scope of cooperation, responsible for related technical research and achievement conversion. Apollo Go will provide technical support during solution verification. The two parties stated they will collaborate around the autonomous driving ecosystem to attract high-quality partners and jointly promote the maturity of China's intelligent driving industry chain.
This partnership drives the maturity and indigenous development of China's intelligent driving industry chain.
ZELOS and Cainiao to Build RoboVan "Super Carrier"
On January 29, ZELOS and Cainiao's unmanned vehicle unit announced they had reached a deep strategic integration regarding unmanned vehicle business. Cainiao will become a shareholder in ZELOS by injecting its unmanned vehicle business and making a cash investment, supporting ZELOS in building a RoboVan "super carrier." This marks the official start of deep collaboration between the two in the RoboVan sector.
Image Source: ZELOS
Following this strategic partnership, Cainiao will cease the production and direct sales of unmanned vehicles itself, instead leveraging its logistics scenarios and ecosystem advantages to expand unmanned vehicle applications in logistics. ZELOS will receive authorization to use the "Cainiao Unmanned Vehicle" brand and operate under a dual-brand model. Meanwhile, Cainiao's management and technical leads for unmanned vehicles will join ZELOS to participate deeply in future strategic planning and operations. Upon completion of the integration, ZELOS will operate with dual brands. The "Cainiao Unmanned Vehicle" brand will be licensed to ZELOS by Cainiao, maintaining its status as an incubated ecosystem enterprise of Alibaba.
This collaboration propels the RoboVan sector from a stage of single-point technology competition to a new phase of ecosystem alliance competition characterized by the deep integration of technology, scenarios, and ecosystems.
CATL Intelligence and Indonesia's IBC Sign Strategic Partnership
On January 26, CATL Intelligence, a provider of integrated smart chassis product technology services, and partners including Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC) officially signed a strategic memorandum of understanding in Jakarta. The parties will jointly explore local EV R&D and cooperation models in Indonesia based on the integrated smart chassis.
Image Source: CATL Intelligence
According to the signed MoU, the cooperation will be anchored by Times Intelligent's "Integrated Smart Chassis Platform." This platform integrates key technologies such as batteries, electric drives, thermal management, and smart chassis domain controllers, providing a high-performance, highly integrated foundational architecture for complete vehicles. The Indonesian partners will rely on local resource advantages to lead the localized production and operation of cooperative models, driving effective implementation.
For Indonesia, this partnership is expected to shorten R&D cycles for its EV industry and drive the coordinated development of the entire industrial chain, including vehicle manufacturing and sales. It assists in laying out a localized new energy vehicle industry chain and cultivating local brands.
CATL and NIO Sign Five-Year Strategic Partnership Agreement
On January 7, according to official company announcements, CATL and NIO recently signed a comprehensive five-year strategic cooperation agreement in Hefei, Anhui. The two parties will deepen collaboration across technology, ecosystem, and market areas to jointly promote technological iteration and business model innovation in the new energy vehicle industry.
Image Source: CATL
On the technology front, the two will focus on joint development of long-life batteries and battery swap adaptation technologies, advancing multi-technical route collaboration and prioritizing the implementation of new technologies to enhance product competitiveness. On the ecosystem front, they will jointly promote the formulation of battery swap standards and the sharing of swap networks, deepening cooperation under business models like Battery as a Service (BaaS) to build an open, shared swap ecosystem. On the market front, they will strengthen joint brand promotion domestically and abroad to boost global influence and market share.
In fact, CATL and NIO first signed a five-year comprehensive strategic agreement on January 17, 2023. This new strategic agreement marks a transition to a new stage of full-ecosystem deep collaboration. Through a mechanized, long-term cooperation framework, both parties aim to jointly navigate industry transformation.
Schaeffler Partners with Neusoft REACH
On January 6, Schaeffler announced it had officially signed a strategic framework agreement with Neusoft REACH. The two will collaborate in the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) sector, integrating their respective technological accumulations in electronic control units and software platforms to jointly develop hardware-software integrated controller solutions for the global market.
Image Source: Schaeffler
The partnership will focus on breaking through technical synergies in basic software, middleware, and AI development platforms, providing automakers with flexible, production-verified delivery solutions. It also explores the application of frontier technologies like digital twins and artificial intelligence in automotive scenarios.
This collaboration marks the shift of automotive electronics from a "hardware-led" era to a new stage of "deep software-hardware integration." It provides global automakers with "production-grade, scalable, and high-security" integrated controller solutions, helping the industry break through bottlenecks in SDV implementation.
