Richard Yu Chengdong (余承东), the outspoken chairman of the consumer business group of Huawei, and formerly the CEO of Huawei’s auto business unit, went viral again on 27 May. This time, it was because he was filmed in the driver’s seat of a Huawei HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance) AITO M8 car with his head drooped and hands off the wheel for 20 seconds before responding to the poster’s horn. People interpreted it as him falling asleep at the wheel.
This video quickly went viral and launched several discourses, such as whether Yu was really dozing off or just looking at his phone. Were any laws and regulations broken? Most importantly, was he demonstrating Huawei’s smart driving assistance?
- #余承东 开车睡觉 Richard Yu sleeping at the wheel: 31.05 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the Hot Search list
- #余承东今年刚因自驾直播被封禁 Richard Yu’s livestream was shut down this year for driving on stream: 6.52 million views on Weibo, ranking number 44 on the Hot Search list
Shenzhen traffic police responded to a netizen’s enquiry and confirmed that neither sleeping nor using a mobile phone is permitted while driving, but they couldn’t comment on whether the police were involved in this incident. AITO customer service, on the other hand, commented that the driving assistance on the M8 is Level 2, so you need to hold the steering wheel and see in front of you to drive, otherwise, the system will remind you.
Many netizens suspect that it was a publicity stunt from the former CEO of the auto business unit. It is, however, unlikely, as Richard Yu is meant to be focused on the latest high-profile Huawei releases from his consumer business group with the HarmonyOS-equipped PCs. It’s giving “don’t try this at home” marketing if it really were the case.