Huawei‘s Aito has officially launched pre-sales for the all-electric version of its M8 large SUV, with prices starting from 378,000 yuan (52,000 USD). The new EV is set to officially launch in August, offering early bird incentives including a 5,000 yuan (700 USD) deposit that converts to a 10,000 yuan (1400 USD) discount on the final purchase price, and a limited-time free upgrade to the new Night Violet exterior valued at 8,000 yuan (1,120 USD).
The Aito M8, which also comes in an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variant, sees its pure electric counterpart join the lineup with subtle design distinctions.
The M8 EV maintains Aito’s “Kunpeng” design language, but differentiates itself with a newly styled front bumper intake grille, distinct from the EREV model. The dual-lens headlights remain, integrated with air ducts and connected by a chrome strip. These headlights also feature auxiliary driving indicator lights. A 192-line LiDAR sensor is mounted on the roof, and it also has a front trunk.
From the side, the M8 EV introduces new 21-inch blacked-out wheels fitted with Pirelli tires, with multi-spoke wheel options also available. Dimensions remain consistent with the EREV model, measuring 5,190/1,999/1,795 mm in length, width, and height, with a wheelbase of 3,105 mm. Both 5-seat and 6-seat configurations are offered.
The rear design mirrors the EREV, featuring a new ISD intelligent interactive taillight system. Two chrome strips span the body, connecting the upper and lower sections, and auxiliary driving indicator lights are also present. The M8 EV adds a new Night Violet exterior colour and a Truffle Brown interior option.
The Aito M8 EV will be among the first vehicles to feature Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 4, providing intelligent driving assistance and intelligent parking assistance.
A highlight is the debut of Huawei’s high-voltage 7-in-1 electric drive system with dual-path redundant power supply. This system will be available in single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations. The single-motor variant delivers a maximum power of 227 kW (304 hp), while the dual-motor version boasts 160 kW (215 hp) for the front motor and 227 kW (304 hp) for the rear. All models are equipped with a 100 kWh CATL battery, offering a CLTC range of 705 kilometres, supported by Huawei’s Whale 800V high-voltage battery platform.
Richard Yu, Huawei’s Executive Director and CEO of Terminal BG, recently announced on Weibo that the Aito M8 EV will be the first to feature Huawei’s self-developed DriveONE high-voltage 7-in-1 electric drive, which supports dual-path redundant power supply. According to Yu, this system is touted to save 30% of cabin and trunk space, achieve a CLTC efficiency of 92.2%, and provide safety redundancy for higher levels of assisted driving.
The M8 product manager, known as “@WanquFengge” (湾区峰哥), further elaborated on this technology:
Editor’s comment
Our reader Needles Balloon once commented on the Aito M8 EREV’s sales, stating, “140,000 pre-orders is Xiaomi scale success even without the BEV version.” Indeed, the M8 EREV has achieved sales success, and we await the performance of its pure electric counterpart.
