Reuters reported that Stellantis is in negotiations with Huawei and JAC Motors over a long-term cooperation for Maserati, intending to adopt Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility platform. The first jointly developed model targets production before the end of 2027 and may adopt a dual-brand model: MAEXTRO in the Chinese market and Maserati in overseas markets. Maserati’s global shipments in 2025 were less than 8,000 units, with an adjusted operating loss of €198 million. Improving capacity utilization at the Cassino and Modena plants is Stellantis’s core demand.

1. Negotiation progress: Harmony Intelligent Mobility platform and a “dual-brand,” market-segmented plan

According to Reuters, citing two people familiar with the matter, Stellantis is in negotiations with Huawei and JAC Motor Group over long-term cooperation for the Maserati brand. Italian media outlet Milano Finanza previously reported that the discussions have entered an advanced stage, with the core issue being Maserati’s adoption of Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility platform, and the first jointly developed model targeting production before the end of 2027.

On brand and channel arrangements, the information points to a “dual-brand” model: the same model would be sold in the Chinese market under JAC’s luxury brand MAEXTRO (Zunjie), while overseas markets would use the Maserati badge. A Stellantis spokesperson responded in a measured way to the report, saying the company discusses various issues with different industry participants around the world in the ordinary course of business, “with the ultimate aim always being to provide customers with the best mobility choices.”

2. Financial fundamentals: annual shipments below 8,000 units and a €198 million loss

The real background to the talks is Maserati’s scale predicament. In 2025, the brand’s global shipments were less than 8,000 units, and its adjusted operating loss was €198 million (about US$230 million). For a luxury brand with an independent product line, independent powertrains and dedicated plants, the fixed-cost amortization pressure corresponding to this sales volume is relatively significant.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said in June this year that the company is seeking further manufacturing partnerships for Maserati, and such cooperation has become an important pillar of Stellantis’s new long-term strategy. Earlier this year, Filosa announced that Stellantis would carry out production cooperation with Chinese groups including Leapmotor and Dongfeng Motor. The related arrangements are part of Stellantis’s €60 billion business plan through 2030. Maserati plans to announce its long-term development strategy in December this year.

3. Capacity perspective: utilization challenges at Cassino and Modena

Filosa has clearly stated that if Maserati reaches new cooperation agreements, it would help improve capacity utilization at its Cassino and Modena plants in Italy. These two plants currently produce Maserati models.

Capacity utilization is a key variable for understanding these negotiations. The low-volume production characteristic of luxury brands means per-model output can hardly fully amortize production line costs; introducing cooperative models can fill capacity without changing brand positioning. It should be noted that, if the cooperation materializes, what is involved is the introduction of vehicle platforms and software solutions, rather than a simple restructuring into contract manufacturing; the specific production division of labor, investment sharing and intellectual property arrangements are not yet public.

4. Technology supply side: Huawei’s software capabilities and JAC’s cooperation experience

From both the technology and manufacturing ends, this combination is feasible. In recent years, Huawei has become an important player in China’s automotive software and automotive electronics fields, and has cooperated with a number of automakers; Harmony Intelligent Mobility is an important vehicle for its whole-vehicle cooperation. JAC Motor Group, meanwhile, has considerable joint venture and cooperation experience, including cooperation with Volkswagen Group.

If the cooperation materializes, for Huawei it would mean its smart cockpit, driver assistance and electrical/electronic architecture solutions entering an ultra-luxury brand system for the first time; for JAC, it would mean its luxury brand MAEXTRO gaining support in technical solutions and product definition in the domestic market. At the same time, the market-segmented arrangement of using the Maserati brand overseas and the Zunjie brand in China poses a structural test for the brand management, channel systems and after-sales commitments of all parties involved.

5. Paradigm observation: the boundaries of Chinese intelligent-driving solutions’ “reverse export”

Placing the above information within the overall framework of China’s new energy vehicle overseas expansion, one can see a path different from whole-vehicle exports: rather than selling cars of Chinese brands overseas, it embeds China’s intelligent electric platforms and software solutions into the existing assets and channels of mature overseas brands. The benefit of this model lies in shortening the cycle for building brand awareness while borrowing the partner’s plants, compliance capabilities and dealer network; the risks are concentrated in the ownership of leadership over technical solutions, the division of data and compliance responsibilities, and the two sides’ differing expectations regarding brand premium.

Caution is warranted: as of publication, none of the parties has confirmed the specific terms of the negotiations, the scale of investment or a definite timetable, and production before the end of 2027 remains a planning statement rather than a commitment. Maserati’s long-term strategy to be announced in December, as well as the final agreement text between Stellantis and Huawei and JAC, will be two key milestones for observing whether this cooperation can move from “talks” to “mass production.” For practitioners focused on overseas expansion, the indicators more worth tracking are not the news itself, but the production location of the first model, platform ownership, sales-region division, and how much say Maserati can retain over engineering and tuning on the cooperative model.