Huawei's target to launch driverless car technology by 2025

China's Huawei Technologies aims to develop driverless passenger car technology by 2025, an executive said on Thursday, as the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker diversifies its business in the face of US sanctions.

"Our team's goal is to reach true driverless passenger cars in 2025," Wang Jun, senior executive at Huawei's smart vehicle unit, told an industry conference.

Dozens of startups, automakers and large technology firms such as internet search leader Baidu Inc are accelerating work on self-driving vehicle systems which are expected to bring a sea change to the transportation industry.

Huawei has pivoted to smart electric vehicles after its global smartphone business was hammered by US sanctions. The previous Trump administration labelled the company a threat to US national security - a charge it denies.