Maserati may get Huawei tech and a JAC-built body from China, but final assembly would remain in Italy
Maserati’s next electric SUV could have a Chinese heart. According to industry sources, Stellantis is planning two new electric vehicles with Huawei and JAC: a large GT and a mid-size or large SUV. They would be sold in China under the Maextro name and in foreign markets with Maserati badges. Germany, France and Italy are named among the first European target markets.
Huawei would provide the electronics, JAC would build the car
The proposed division of labour clearly shows how much the automotive industry has changed over the past five years.
Huawei would provide the project with its HIMA ecosystem, digital cockpit, driver-assistance systems and electric-drive technology. JAC would be responsible for vehicle engineering and production at its Maextro factory. Maserati would retain responsibility for design, chassis tuning and international sales.
European vehicle production would reportedly follow the SKD principle. JAC would manufacture the body in China and send it to Italy, where Maserati would install the interior, finish the car and carry out final chassis calibration. The plan would also help provide work for Stellantis’ Cassino and Modena production facilities.
The term “Chinese Maserati” would therefore be both accurate and misleading. A large part of the technical foundation would come from China, but Maserati would seek to retain control of the characteristics for which customers ultimately pay Maserati prices.
The plan involves more than just an SUV
According to the latest information, the partners are planning two all-electric vehicles. One would be an SUV larger than the Grecale Folgore, while the other would be a large GT. Maserati is currently said to favour bringing the GT to market first.
Exact battery capacities, outputs, ranges and dimensions are not known. Nor is there any reason to assume that a future Maserati would simply be a reworked Maextro S800. Maextro nevertheless shows the level of technology Huawei and JAC are already targeting: the S800 competes at the very top end of China’s luxury-car market and is offered in both all-electric and range-extender versions.
Maserati badly needs a partner
The reason for the collaboration is not complicated. Maserati’s sales have collapsed. According to Reuters, the brand’s 2025 deliveries fell below 8,000 cars, while its adjusted operating loss reached €198 million. Stellantis chief Antonio Filosa has previously confirmed that the group is seeking industrial partners for Maserati.
Huawei and JAC would allow Maserati to skip several costly development stages. Developing a new electric architecture, software, driver-assistance systems and electronics from scratch would cost billions and require time that a brand with such low sales volumes lacks.
But Maserati’s value has never simply been the trident on the bonnet. If the platform, electric drive, software and much of the engineering come from China, the Italian side will have to make the final result distinctive enough. Porsche may use the same suppliers as other manufacturers, but the Cayenne must still drive like a Porsche. Maserati faces precisely the same task, only in a far more difficult economic situation.
Europe could be among the first markets
Industry sources name the Middle East, Italy, France and Germany as the first foreign markets. This would also make the project important to Europe from an industrial-policy perspective: Chinese technology would reach the market through an Italian luxury brand and partly Italian production.
For now, however, the entire plan must be regarded as an intention. Reuters’ earlier reporting confirms that talks are taking place, but Stellantis, Huawei and JAC have not officially announced a final partnership agreement or the two models. If the project comes to fruition, its most interesting question will therefore not be battery capacity or acceleration to 100 km/h. Far more interesting will be whether Huawei’s electronics, JAC’s industrial capabilities and Maserati’s tuning can truly produce a Maserati, or simply a very good Chinese electric car in Italian attire.
