Maserati is reportedly advancing talks on a technology and manufacturing partnership in China involving Huawei and JAC Motors, as the Stellantis-owned marque works on a wider relaunch strategy.
Citing an unnamed source, Italian newspaper Milano Finanza reported that the arrangement under discussion would pair Maserati with Maextro, the premium marque Huawei has built alongside JAC.
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According to the translated version of the report, negotiators have resolved most sticking points, although a formal deal remains unsigned.
The goal is to have the venture running by 2027.
Under the roles outlined in the report, Huawei would oversee product strategy and in-car technology, while JAC would take charge of engineering and production.
Maserati, for its part, would supply styling, brand identity and access to its global distribution network.
The arrangement envisions a “dual badge” setup, in which a single design would carry the Maextro name in China and Maserati’s own badge elsewhere.
Whether manufacturing would take place in Italy, China, or across both has not been settled.
Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility software platform sits at the centre of the plan.
The three firms are said to already be designing an electrified model together, with output planned for late 2027 should terms be finalised.
When Milano Finanza sought comment, Stellantis neither confirmed nor ruled out the talks, stating: “As part of its normal operations, Stellantis engages in discussions with various industrial players around the world on various topics, always with the ultimate goal of offering customers the best mobility solutions.”
The Huawei-JAC negotiations represent one strand of a broader roadmap for Maserati under chief executive Santo Ficili, due to be unveiled in full at the brand’s Investor Day in Modena, Italy this December.
Speaking to Italian parliamentarians in Rome in June, Stellantis chief executive Antonio Filosa said the group was evaluating two potential partners capable of supplying technology and other capabilities to support Maserati’s future direction.
Maserati is also pursuing additional initiatives, still being worked out, ahead of the December presentation, the source added.
