Great Wall’s self-driving arm Haomo.AI collapses as company reports abrupt staff layoff, report says
Haomo.AI, the self-driving startup once nurtured by Great Wall Motor (GWM), reportedly suspended all operations this week after an internal notice told employees to stop reporting to work starting November 24 without explanation or clarity on plans, as reported by Sina.
On November 22, staff at Haomo.AI received a brief verbal message from human resources stating that, beginning November 24, there was “no need to report to work.” According to multiple media reports, the company did not issue a formal announcement, offer compensation, or indicate when, or even whether, operations would resume.
When reporters visited Haomo.AI’s offices in Beijing and Shanghai after the notice, they found empty workspaces, equipment powered down, and no staff. Employees in Beijing spoke of delayed salaries and months-long arrears, frozen company bank accounts, disabled communication channels and a lack of response from senior management.
Haomo.AI was founded in November 2019 after being spun off from Great Wall’s in-house intelligent-driving unit. Backed by the Great Wall as its principal investor and customer, the company’s core offering was the HPilot driver-assist/autonomous-driving system, which reportedly had been installed in more than 20 GWM-brand models.
At its peak, the startup enjoyed strong investor support and reportedly achieved a valuation exceeding 1 billion USD. In recent months, however, reports indicated shrinking cash flow, layoffs and top-management turnover. Insiders have suggested the company failed to convert its technology into sufficient volume production or stable commercial orders.
At present, no official statement from Haomo.AI or Great Wall Motor has been released to clarify whether this is a temporary suspension, a complete dissolution, or a restructuring. The shutdown has left several hundred employees in uncertainty over unpaid wages, social insurance contributions, and their professional futures.
The collapse of Haomo.AI raises serious questions about Great Wall Motor’s internal strategy for smart-driving systems. With its in-house autonomous-driving supplier dormant, Great Wall may need to reconsider how it sources driver-assist and future autonomous technologies for upcoming vehicle models.
