From “Cars” to “Homes”: Automotive and Home Appliance Giants Forge Cross-Industry Collaboration to Co-create New Smart Living Scenarios

Under the wave of intelligentization, the boundaries between the automotive and home appliance industries are rapidly blurring. On January 21, China’s automotive giant Changan Automobile and leading home appliance technology company Midea Group signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement in Foshan, Guangdong Province. This move not only marks a full-scale upgrade in the collaboration between these two industry leaders but is also seen as a crucial step toward scaling up and implementing the “human-vehicle-home” smart ecosystem—from technological synergy to large-scale, scenario-based deployment. During the signing ceremony, both sides highlighted the “Car-to-Home” feature, which is already ready for deployment. In Changan’s Qiyuan models, users can use voice commands to remotely control six categories of smart devices at home—such as air conditioners, air purifiers, and curtains—achieving cross-scenario integration that enables pre-setting the home environment before returning and ensuring safety and energy efficiency after leaving home. It is reported that this feature will soon be rolled out to users via OTA (over-the-air download technology). Meanwhile, joint development around scenarios such as “Home-to-Car” functions (e.g., remote vehicle preparation) has also been launched, aiming to create a seamlessly connected smart lifestyle experience. Industry analysts point out that this collaboration goes far beyond traditional supply-chain relationships. Built on the intersection of vehicle intelligence and home appliance intelligence, it seeks to address user pain points in cross-ecosystem collaboration through co-creation of scenarios and system-level integration. During the exchange, Zhu Huarong, Chairman of Changan Automobile, stated that both parties will jointly explore the deep integration of the automotive industry with smart technologies, building a more competitive industrial ecosystem. Fang Hongbo, Chairman of Midea Group, believes that this collaboration is based on a deep consensus between the two companies at the levels of industrial chains and ecosystem chains, representing complementary strengths and open innovation in the face of profound industrial adjustments. According to the agreement, the two sides will engage in deep cooperation across areas including vehicle-home connectivity, component innovation, and omni-channel marketing. The core approach is to be user-demand oriented, transforming cutting-edge technologies into tangible, convenient experiences. Analysts believe that the cross-industry integration by these industry leaders will strongly promote the alignment of the two major standard systems—smart home and intelligent connected vehicles—providing an important model for the integrated development of the smart home and smart mobility industries, ultimately benefiting a wide range of consumers.

2026-01-26