Apple CarKey Quietly Adds Great Wall's WEY Brand

Apple has quietly integrated WEY, the premium SUV brand under Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors, into its CarKey digital car key backend infrastructure. The discovery, made by well-known leaker aaronp613 on X (formerly Twitter), suggests an official announcement will follow once all compatibility work is finalized.

This move marks yet another expansion of Apple's growing footprint in China's electric and smart vehicle market, where digital car key adoption is accelerating at a pace that far outstrips Western markets.

Key Takeaways at a Glance

• WEY, Great Wall Motors' premium SUV brand, has been added to Apple's CarKey backend
• The integration was discovered in backend data before any official announcement
• Apple CarKey already supports over 13 Chinese automotive brands
• CarKey uses NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to replace traditional car keys
• The feature works with both iPhone and Apple Watch via the Wallet app
• Great Wall Motors is one of China's largest privately-owned automakers, with annual sales exceeding 1 million vehicles

What Is Apple CarKey and How Does It Work?

Apple CarKey first debuted at WWDC 2020 as a convenience feature designed to turn iPhones and Apple Watches into digital car keys. The technology leverages NFC to allow users to lock, unlock, and even start their vehicles simply by holding their Apple device near the car's door handle.

Once a digital key is added to the Wallet app, the experience is seamless. Users tap their iPhone or Apple Watch against the door handle to unlock, then place the device on the car's wireless charging pad or NFC reader inside the cabin to start the engine. There is no need to open an app — the interaction works even when the device's battery is critically low, thanks to Apple's Power Reserve mode.

Compared to traditional Bluetooth-based digital key solutions offered by some automakers, Apple's NFC-based CarKey provides a more reliable and lower-latency connection. Apple has also been working on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support for CarKey, which would enable passive entry — meaning the car could detect the owner's approach and unlock automatically without any tap required.

Apple's Aggressive Expansion Into China's Auto Market

The addition of WEY is notable because it underscores Apple's deliberate strategy to court Chinese automakers at a time when the company faces intensifying competition in the Chinese smartphone market from Huawei, Xiaomi, and other domestic players.

Apple CarKey currently supports a remarkable roster of Chinese automotive brands, including:

• NIO — Premium electric vehicle manufacturer
• XPeng — Smart EV maker known for autonomous driving features
• Zeekr — Geely's premium electric brand
• BYD — The world's largest EV manufacturer by volume
• Denza — BYD's premium joint venture brand
• Hongqi (Red Flag) — China's iconic luxury automaker
• Ledo (乐道) — NIO's mass-market sub-brand
• Lynk & Co — Geely's global-oriented brand
• Exeed (星途) — Chery's premium lineup
• Yangwang — BYD's ultra-premium brand
• Fangchengbao — BYD's off-road-focused brand
• Voyah (岚图) — Dongfeng's premium EV brand
• Chery — One of China's largest independent automakers

This list now spans virtually every major Chinese automotive group — from BYD and Geely to NIO and Chery. The addition of Great Wall Motors through its WEY brand fills one of the last remaining gaps among China's top automakers.

Why Great Wall's WEY Brand Matters

Great Wall Motors (GWM) is one of China's most significant automotive companies, best known globally for its Haval SUV brand and its rapidly growing presence in markets across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and parts of Europe. The company reported total sales of approximately 1.23 million vehicles in 2023.

WEY was launched in 2016 as Great Wall's premium SUV brand, named after the company's founder, Wei Jianjun. The brand has since pivoted toward plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and intelligent connected features, positioning itself as a technology-forward alternative to traditional luxury SUV brands.

WEY's current lineup includes models like the Blue Mountain and High Mountain series, which feature advanced driver-assistance systems, large infotainment screens, and over-the-air update capabilities. Adding Apple CarKey support aligns perfectly with WEY's strategy of appealing to tech-savvy, premium-oriented consumers who expect seamless smartphone integration.

For Apple, partnering with WEY also provides access to a customer demographic that is likely to own iPhones — premium car buyers in China's Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities who value both brand prestige and technological convenience.

The Competitive Landscape: Digital Car Keys Heat Up

Apple is not alone in pursuing digital car key technology. Google offers a similar feature through its Digital Car Key program for Android devices, which also uses NFC and UWB technology. Samsung has its own Samsung Digital Key solution, and the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) has established industry-wide standards for digital key interoperability.

However, Apple holds several competitive advantages:

• Ecosystem lock-in: CarKey integrates tightly with iCloud, enabling key sharing with family members through Messages
• Security architecture: Keys are stored in the iPhone's Secure Element chip, providing hardware-level encryption
• Apple Watch support: Users can use their Watch as a backup key if their iPhone is unavailable
• Power Reserve: CarKey works for up to 5 hours after the iPhone's battery dies

In Western markets, Apple CarKey adoption has been comparatively slower. BMW was the first global partner in 2020, followed by select models from Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Aston Martin. The contrast with China — where over a dozen brands are now on board — highlights how rapidly the Chinese auto industry adopts new connected car technologies.

What This Means for Users and the Industry

For iPhone and Apple Watch users who own or plan to purchase a WEY vehicle, this integration means one fewer physical object to carry. The digital key can be shared remotely with family members or friends through iMessage, with customizable permission levels that can restrict maximum speed or audio volume — a feature particularly useful for parents sharing keys with younger drivers.

For the broader automotive industry, Apple's expanding CarKey partnerships signal that digital car keys are transitioning from a novelty feature to a baseline expectation. Automakers that fail to support major smartphone ecosystems risk appearing outdated in an increasingly connected vehicle landscape.

The trend also raises important questions about data privacy and security. When a smartphone becomes the car key, the relationship between tech companies and automakers deepens significantly. Apple's privacy-first approach — processing key authentication on-device rather than in the cloud — may give it an edge over competitors, but consumers should remain aware that digital keys create new potential attack surfaces that traditional metal keys never had.

Looking Ahead: What Comes Next for Apple CarKey

The WEY integration is likely just one of several unannounced CarKey partnerships in Apple's pipeline. As Chinese automakers continue their global expansion — with brands like BYD, MG (under SAIC), and Great Wall entering European and Australian markets in force — Apple CarKey support could become a meaningful differentiator for these brands when competing against established Western automakers.

Apple's anticipated push toward UWB-based passive entry will be the next major evolution of CarKey. This technology, which enables the car to detect the owner's precise location and unlock as they approach, is expected to roll out more broadly with future iPhone and vehicle hardware generations.

There is also speculation that Apple could eventually integrate CarKey functionality into its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset ecosystem, though practical applications for that pairing remain unclear.

For now, all eyes are on the official announcement from Apple and WEY. Based on past patterns, the public rollout could come as part of a vehicle software update from WEY, potentially timed alongside a future iOS update later in 2025. Until then, the backend discovery serves as a reliable preview of what is coming — Apple's CarKey ecosystem continues to grow, and China remains its most active frontier.