BMW’s iX electrical SUV in China was once the primary international automotive logo to incorporate the car model of Tencent’s WeChat messaging app, in step with the Chinese language tech corporate.
Tencent
BEIJING — Chinese language web massive Tencent needs to promote generation which the corporate says will lend a hand overseas automakers that need to promote automobiles in China’s huge electrical automobile marketplace.
BMW and a few U.S. automakers are already running with Tencent, Liu Shuquan, vp of Tencent Clever Mobility, which is a part of Tencent’s cloud industry. Talking to CNBC on Friday, he declined to specify which American carmakers it is running with.
In a transfer geared toward serving to spice up its global technique, Liu’s group introduced a brand new cloud computing product for automakers known as the “Tencent Clever Automotive Cloud” on Friday.
The all-in-one cloud product — additionally to be had for home automakers — can duvet all technological facets of an electrical automotive, the corporate claimed. The ones options vary from storing information in some way optimized for coaching self reliant riding methods, to giving drivers get admission to to Tencent’s social media and map apps.
The person interface could also be a promoting level for China’s drivers bearing in mind how Tencent dominates an array of the highest on-line leisure apps in China.
The corporate has performed the function of Fb in China with its ubiquitous WeChat messaging, bills and social media app — one thing tech competitors Baidu and Alibaba haven’t begun to return on the subject of.
In leisure, Tencent has different apps as smartly: QQ Song, some of the two primary Spotify-like apps in China; Tencent Video, which provides on-demand streaming content material together with truth displays and animated collection; in addition to widespread cell video games like Honor of Kings.
Tencent Maps is the 3rd most-popular navigation app in Apple’s App retailer in China — the highest two belong to its key competitors Alibaba and Baidu.
All automobiles letting passengers or drivers get admission to Tencent apps from the automobile’s platforms want to have an settlement with Tencent, Liu mentioned.
The ones app-level partnerships began in 2018, round the similar time Tencent Cloud started running with automakers for self reliant riding products and services, the corporate mentioned.
Including extra self-driving tech
Gamers in China’s auto business are an increasing number of having a bet that native drivers will need extra self reliant riding options, which might be necessarily assisted-driving purposes because of legislation of present generation.
Already within the first quarter, 23% of latest automobiles offered in China got here with a restricted point of assisted riding, known as “Degree 2” in a classification machine for self reliant riding, in step with Tencent.
With the brand new cloud computing product introduced remaining week, Liu mentioned in a foreign country automotive corporations may expand automobiles with navigation and assisted-driving options custom designed for China’s roads and terrain.
“The information is owned via [the] OEM, the shopper,” Liu mentioned, regarding unique apparatus producers which offer elements and portions for any other corporate’s product.
“We simply supply cloud carrier to retailer that information. The second one factor is we offer an entire ecosystem. That ecosystem no longer most effective come with[s] our personal carrier and content material but additionally our companions’.”
Liu mentioned his corporate already companions with just about 40 auto manufacturers, together with BMW, SAIC and Nio, protecting 120 automobile fashions. He additionally famous partnership talks with German and Eastern corporations.
BMW didn’t right away reply to a CNBC request for remark. SAIC and Nio representatives spoke at Friday’s release match for the “Tencent Clever Automotive Cloud” product.
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