Honda's electric Ye Series are produced in China via its joint ventures with GAC and Dongfeng. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Japanese carmaker Honda has announced a major shift in its development strategy, leveraging Chinese technology to meet the rapidly evolving expectations of local car buyers in China.

Honda unveiled the plan on Wednesday at Auto Shanghai, where it is showcasing the GT model of its electric Ye Series.

As part of this push, Honda said it will co-develop next-generation advanced driver assistance systems with Momenta, a Chinese company known for its expertise in map-free smart driving technologies.

Honda is also adopting AI technologies developed by DeepSeek. These AI solutions are designed to improve in-cabin interactions, offering a more comfortable and personalized driving experience.

All future models in Honda’s electric Ye Series will feature DeepSeek’s technologies, and the Ye P7 and Ye S7 models already on the market will receive them through over-the-air updates, said the carmaker.

Also, Honda is deepening its partnership with Chinese battery maker CATL.

The two companies will co-develop a high-efficiency EV platform with battery cells integrated directly into the vehicle body.

They will also jointly develop lithium iron phosphate batteries, which will be featured in the upcoming third batch of Ye Series models.

Honda said these collaborations reflect its broader commitment to achieving carbon neutrality across all products and corporate activities by 2050.