Maserati, the iconic Italian luxury carmaker, is on the brink of a transformative partnership that could redefine its future in the electric vehicle (EV) era. According to reports from Yunjian Insight and other industry sources on May 13 and 14, 2026, Maserati is in advanced negotiations with Chinese tech giant Huawei, automaker JAC, and global automotive group Stellantis to jointly develop a new electric vehicle model. The deal, if finalized, could see a single car wearing two very different badges—one for China, another for the rest of the world.
The structure of this potential collaboration is reminiscent of Huawei’s HIMA alliance, a model that has already made waves in the Chinese auto industry. In this arrangement, Huawei takes the lead in product definition, core technology, and software—essentially shaping the vehicle’s digital heart and user experience. JAC, meanwhile, would handle joint development and the heavy lifting of mass production. Maserati’s role? To provide its renowned Italian design flair and manage the branding, especially for international markets. Stellantis, Maserati’s parent company and a global automotive powerhouse, would oversee the broader strategic direction and ensure the brand’s global reach.
What’s especially intriguing is how this new EV could have a dual identity. In China, the car would be launched under the Maextro brand, a name already gaining traction thanks to Huawei and JAC’s previous collaborations. Internationally, the same vehicle is expected to carry the Maserati emblem, offering a distinctly Italian luxury experience—at least on the surface. The plan is for mass production to begin in the second half of 2027, though sources caution that no official commercial contract has been inked yet.
The urgency behind Maserati’s move is clear when you look at the numbers. According to Yunjian Insight, Maserati’s global deliveries have plummeted from approximately 27,000 units in 2023 to an expected 7,900 units in 2025. Nowhere is the decline more stark than in China. Once Maserati’s largest market, China accounted for about 30% of the brand’s global sales in 2017, with 14,498 units sold. Fast forward to 2025, and that figure has crashed to just over 1,000 vehicles. The message is unmistakable: Maserati must adapt or risk fading into irrelevance, especially in markets where electrification and digital sophistication are rapidly becoming the norm.
So, what’s driving this dramatic shift? It’s not the famed leather interiors or the throaty growl of a Maserati engine that’s under scrutiny. Instead, as noted by both Yunjian Insight and MTODAY, the brand’s Achilles’ heel is its electronic equipment and software. Chinese premium car buyers now expect cutting-edge interfaces, robust driver assistance systems, smart features, and lightning-fast software updates. In these areas, Huawei holds a formidable advantage—one that European brands, even storied names like Maserati, find tough to match on their own.
Huawei and JAC have already demonstrated their prowess with the Maextro S800 luxury sedan, which debuted in China at a starting price of 708,000 yuan (about $104,000). Since its launch, cumulative sales have surpassed 16,000 units—a notable achievement for a high-priced, domestically produced sedan. Huawei later unveiled a version of the S800 equipped with a groundbreaking 896-channel LiDAR system, touting it as one of the world’s most advanced sensor packages for autonomous driving and safety. This technological edge is precisely what Maserati hopes to tap into through the partnership.
For Stellantis, this isn’t uncharted territory. The group has already made significant moves in China’s electric vehicle sector, most notably by acquiring about a 20% stake in Leapmotor, a local EV manufacturer. That investment was aimed at bolstering Stellantis’s position in China’s mass-market EV segment. Now, with the Maserati-Huawei-JAC project, Stellantis appears poised to extend a similar strategy into the premium electric vehicle space.
The implications of this collaboration go beyond just another electric Maserati rolling off the assembly line. If successful, the project would signal a fundamental shift in what it takes to compete in the luxury automotive market. As one industry source put it, "In the electric vehicle era, flashy design and a storied name are no longer enough. What matters now is a fast software core, advanced electronics, and technology that customers interact with every day—not just what looks good in a brochure."
The partnership also highlights the growing influence of Chinese technology firms in the global automotive sector. Huawei, once best known for its smartphones and telecommunications equipment, has rapidly expanded into automotive technology, leveraging its expertise in electronics and software to become a key player in the EV space. The company’s HIMA alliance model, which puts tech firms at the center of vehicle development, is now being exported to collaborations with international brands like Maserati.
Of course, challenges remain. The joint project has yet to be formally signed off, and there are significant hurdles to overcome in aligning the interests of four major players—each with its own priorities and brand identity. Maserati, for its part, faces the delicate task of preserving its Italian heritage and luxury appeal while embracing the technological innovations that Chinese partners bring to the table. There’s also the question of how global consumers will react to a Maserati that, under the hood, shares so much DNA with a Chinese-developed vehicle.
Yet, for Maserati, the stakes could hardly be higher. With sales sliding and consumer expectations evolving at breakneck speed, the company can ill afford to stand still. The collaboration with Huawei, JAC, and Stellantis represents not just a lifeline but a bold bet on the future—a future where software, sensors, and seamless digital experiences are as vital as horsepower and hand-stitched leather.
As the automotive world watches closely, one thing is certain: the outcome of this partnership could set a precedent for how legacy luxury brands navigate the challenges and opportunities of the electric age. For Maserati, it’s a chance to prove that Italian style and Chinese tech can combine to create something truly extraordinary—or risk being left behind in the rearview mirror of automotive history.