BUSINESS

China Probes Brake Pedal Failure on JAC-Huawei Luxury EV

Published: Oct. 16, 2026 11:14 a.m. GMT+8

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A Maextro V800 at a Huawei Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance store in Beijing on Oct. 11, 2026. Photo: VCG

Chinese regulators have opened a joint investigation into reports that a brake-pedal bracket fractured during testing of a luxury electric vehicle (EV) developed by JAC Motors and Huawei, putting fresh scrutiny on vehicle-safety claims in China’s fiercely competitive auto market.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Thursday that it had formed a joint investigation team with the country’s cyberspace regulator and market watchdog to examine the issue involving the Maextro V800.

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Chinese regulators opened a joint investigation after Dongchedi video showed brake-pedal bracket fractures in three Maextro V800 EVs during 100 km/h emergency braking tests.
The incident wiped about 11 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) from JAC Motors’ market value in two days.
Maextro said failures haven’t occurred in customer use; it will redesign the part, offer free upgrades, and cooperate with the probe.

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Who’s Who

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp. Ltd. (JAC Motors): Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp. Ltd. (JAC Motors) (600418.SH) co-developed the Maextro V800 luxury EV with Huawei. Chinese regulators opened a joint investigation into reported brake-pedal bracket fractures during testing. The incident caused JAC Motors' shares to plunge, wiping about 11 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) from its market value. Maextro pledged to redesign the component and offer free upgrades.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is a Chinese tech firm whose consumer-device unit co-developed the Maextro V800 luxury EV with JAC Motors. The vehicle is under official investigation after brake-pedal bracket fractures were reported during testing. Huawei's brand partner, Maextro, pledged a redesigned component and free upgrades for delivered cars.

Dongchedi: Dongchedi is a Chinese automotive media outlet that published a video on Oct. 8 showing three Maextro V800 EVs undergoing emergency braking tests at 100 km/h, with brake-pedal brackets fracturing in every case. The video sparked a regulatory probe and wiped about 11 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) from JAC Motors' market value.

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What Happened When

2026-10-08：: Chinese automotive media outlet Dongchedi published a video showing three Maextro V800 vehicles conducting consecutive emergency braking tests at 100 km/h, with brake-pedal brackets fracturing in every case.

2026-10-13：: Maextro released results from a third-party test showing the pedal met industry standards with no cracks or damage after a gradual longitudinal force of 3,000 newtons was applied.

2026-10-14：: JAC Motors' shares began a two-day plunge.

2026-10-15：: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced forming a joint investigation team with the cyberspace regulator and market watchdog to examine the brake-pedal bracket issue involving the Maextro V800.