GAC: Revolutionizing Automotive Manufacturing with Intelligence

The automotive industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation. The rapid rise of electric vehicles (EVs) is driving the industry into its next transformative phase: Intelligence.

Intelligent driving, cockpits, and connectivity now propel product innovation. As the industry emerges into an age of intelligence, how can automotive companies transition into the realm of intelligent manufacturing? The answer to this question will determine automotive companies' edge in the market and shape the future of the global automotive industry. Needless to say, intelligent manufacturing stands at the forefront of automotive companies' transformation.

Since its founding in 1997, GAC Group has emerged as a pioneer in China's automotive landscape. It offers unparalleled end-to-end services across the entire supply chain while leading the way in digital and intelligent transformation.

GAC has proactively advanced its digital and intelligent manufacturing capabilities while forging dynamic partnerships within the intelligence ecosystem. As automotive companies embrace intelligent manufacturing, GAC stands out as a leading example. Its story reveals a compelling truth: To succeed in intelligent transformation, automotive companies need visionary strategies, seamless collaboration, and advanced technology.

They are the three engines that drive breakthroughs in intelligent manufacturing.

Striding Toward an Intelligent World

Automotive companies face unparalleled demands for R&D and innovation in a time where technology evolves at breakneck speeds. By late 2024, intelligent and connected vehicles had already captured over 20% of China's automotive market, with predictions suggesting this will surge to nearly 80% by only 2030. The McKinsey China Automotive Consumer Insights 2024 reveals that 65% of Chinese buyers prioritize premium EV brands for their autonomous driving capabilities, making it the top factor influencing their choice.

We can clearly see that intelligence has become the core of competition. Superior intelligent vehicles rely on intelligent manufacturing. GAC is relentlessly pursuing its vision to lead in intelligent driving by embedding intelligence into every facet of its manufacturing process.

In April 2020, GAC unveiled its groundbreaking GAC Digital Accelerator (GDA) initiative. Then GAC released its Intelligent Transportation 2027 Action Plan, detailing the implementation of state-of-the-art innovations—including the GAC Large AI Model Platform, Xingling Electronic and Electrical Architecture, and Intelligent Connected Big Data Platform—to solidify its leadership in key areas such as intelligent driving and advanced cockpits.

Vehicle production is an intricate process, each step demanding time, expertise, and meticulous attention to detail. GAC has realized that achieving a full-scale intelligent transformation would inevitably bring the following technological challenges.

1. Data collaboration: Data lies at the heart of digital transformation and lifecycle management of automotive products. Effective data collaboration ensures the efficiency of automotive R&D and design. Streamlining data collaboration at the production level stands as GAC's foremost challenge.

2. AI assistance: The emergence of AI unlocks transformative potential, revolutionizing efficiency across industries. Automotive companies face the challenge of seamlessly integrating advanced AI models into their R&D and production processes with precision and efficiency.

3. Efficiency improvement: Large-scale office collaboration plays a key role in automotive R&D and design. However, it puts a strain on IT with such heavy reliance on desktops and networks. Enabling thousands of R&D and design engineers to work efficiently remains a critical challenge for the intelligent upgrade for automotive companies.

Facing complex demands in data, AI, and office collaboration, GAC responded by intensifying cooperation with leading tech firms. Using the intelligence ecosystem as its wings, GAC can soar in the vast sky of intelligent manufacturing.

On Huawei's Wings, GAC Soars

GAC has established extensive partnerships with tech leaders like Huawei, integrating technology and solutions to create a robust and dependable intelligence ecosystem.

Huawei's automotive technology powers numerous GAC products. Huawei solutions span GAC's entire value chain, from R&D, production, and supply to sales. Huawei's advanced offerings, from digital transformation strategies to industrial digitalization platforms, large models, desktop clouds, and network upgrades, are integrated into every aspect of GAC's intelligent manufacturing practices. If we look at the Huawei-GAC partnership as an example, we can see that automotive companies' intelligent manufacturing needs can be categorized into three levels: Strategic planning at the top, data and services in the middle, and robust digital and intelligent infrastructure at the base. Integrating intelligent systems at these three levels is essential to maximizing the value of intelligent manufacturing.

Automotive companies can achieve comprehensive advancements in intelligent manufacturing with the help of tech companies. GAC and Huawei collaborate with each other to advance intelligent manufacturing. The whole process is akin to building a house.

1. Top-level design, building the strategic structure

Constructing a house demands strong beams and pillars for its framework. Similarly, advancing intelligent manufacturing necessitates top-level strategies. Once automotive companies set their course, they can chart a clear path for intelligent manufacturing's future, avoiding redundant investments and isolated data systems.

In the top-level design phase, Huawei provides GAC with consulting services on digital R&D and R&D security. Huawei provides invaluable insights based on its established digital and intelligent transformation practices, empowering GAC to revolutionize its R&D processes while ensuring comprehensive data security across all domains.

2. Data collaboration, developing the service middle-end

Data collaboration and convergence are essential to intelligent manufacturing. The data foundation is like the blueprint of a house, dictating its design pattern and future use. To meet the data collaboration needs of automotive manufacturing, GAC and Huawei developed an advanced cloud platform. GAC kickstarted its digital transformation by integrating Huawei Cloud's Industrial Digital Model Engine (iDME) as the core digital foundation and service middleware for its research institute.

With the help of Huawei, GAC has developed a comprehensive independent PDM platform, SPDM platform, MOM platform, and one-stop operations platform for automobile design (body and model), and has applied these IT systems in multiple departments. In this way, GAC achieved efficient data-driven R&D collaboration and comprehensively improved its capabilities in digital transformation.

3. Infrastructure iteration, fully implementing intelligence

To move forward, automotive manufacturing needs intelligent innovation across multiple fields. Such innovations are impossible without advanced intelligent technology and resilient infrastructure. This is why GAC introduced Huawei's technological achievements in both software and hardware.

For example, Huawei's Pangu AI models revolutionized GAC's R&D processes, boosting GAC's operational efficiency across multiple scenarios by 30%. Huawei's Desktop Cloud transformed and upgraded nearly 4,000 desktops, improving O&M efficiency by 80%. Huawei's Wi-Fi 7 network solution provided high-quality 10GE office network access for GAC Energy's new office in Nansha District, Guangzhou City. This network infrastructure delivers seamless connectivity across all office spaces, effortlessly supporting essential operations—from advanced office applications to crystal-clear HD video conferencing.

To succeed in the intelligent world, automotive companies must avoid pursuing misguided goals and costly trial-and-error approaches. The collaboration between GAC and Huawei exemplifies this: By using Huawei's latest digital and intelligent expertise, GAC has tapped into state-of-the-art technology, rock-solid infrastructure, and unparalleled insight.

Such systematic and streamlined approach is the key to achieving groundbreaking advancements in intelligent automotive manufacturing.

Revolutionizing R&D by Embracing Intelligence

Through its cooperation with Huawei, GAC has comprehensively integrated digital and intelligent technology into its production systems, enhancing its R&D and manufacturing capabilities. With this, GAC is confidently moving forward to reach its ambitious goals: Generating one trillion RMB of revenue by 2030, "proactively transforming to gain an edge over competitors", and "using the AI strategy to drive success."

For automotive companies, R&D is the key to business success in the intelligent world. By devising intelligence strategies, integrating Huawei's technology, and continuously upgrading its intelligence infrastructure, GAC has realized remarkable advancements. They have established a virtual verification environment that enables simultaneous design and verification, reducing the prototype vehicle requirements by nearly one-third. They have developed thousands of data services, and improved R&D efficiency by more than 30%. They also significantly shortened the manufacturing period, slashed R&D costs, and massively boosted R&D quality.

Reflecting on the creation of value reveals that GAC has masterfully refined its business framework into a seamless cycle: Set strategies, develop platforms, build infrastructure, and create benefits. Each component is intricately linked, forming a comprehensive ecosystem where none can thrive independently.

As the automotive industry strides toward intelligence, GAC's expertise stands as a reference for innovation. Their journey has the potential to inspire the automotive industry, propelling other automotive companies into the forefront of intelligent manufacturing.