An executive from Huawei Technologies said, the company aims to develop driverless passenger car technology by 2025.

The move sees the erstwhile Chinese telecom giant diversifying its business in the face of U.S. sanctions.

“Our team’s goal is to reach true driverless passenger cars in 2025,” said Wang Jun, senior executive at Huawei’s smart vehicle unit, during an industry conference.

Dozens of startups, large technology firms and established automakers are intensifying efforts to develop self-driving vehicle technology to the consumer market; the technology is expected to bring a sea of change to the transportation industry.

After U.S. sanctions hammered its dominance in the smartphone sector, Huawei has pivoted to electric vehicles.

The United States had labelled the company as a threat to its national security.