Tencent wants to be foreign automakers’ go-to company for tech in China’s electric car market

BEIJING — Chinese web big Tencent wants to promote expertise which the company says will assist foreign automakers that need to promote automobiles in China’s large electric automobile market.

BMW and a few U.S. automakers are already working with Tencent, Liu Shuquan, vp of Tencent Intelligent Mobility, which is a part of Tencent’s cloud enterprise. Speaking to CNBC on Friday, he declined to specify which American carmakers it is working with.

In a transfer aimed toward serving to increase its worldwide technique, Liu’s staff launched a brand new cloud computing product for automakers referred to as the “Tencent Intelligent Automobile Cloud” on Friday.

The all-in-one cloud product — additionally out there for home automakers — can cowl all technological facets of an electric car, the company claimed. Those options vary from storing information in a means optimized for coaching autonomous driving techniques, to giving drivers entry to Tencent’s social media and map apps.

The person interface might be a promoting level for China’s drivers contemplating how Tencent dominates an array of the highest on-line leisure apps in China.

The company has performed the position of Facebook in China with its ubiquitous WeChat messaging, funds and social media app — one thing tech rivals Baidu and Alibaba have but to come shut to.

In leisure, Tencent has different apps as nicely: QQ Music, one of many two important Spotify-like apps in China; Tencent Video, which affords on-demand streaming content material together with actuality exhibits and animated sequence; in addition to widespread cellular video games like Honor of Kings.

Tencent Maps is the third most-popular navigation app in Apple’s App retailer in China — the highest two belong to its key rivals Alibaba and Baidu.

All automobiles letting passengers or drivers entry Tencent apps from the automobile’s platforms want to have an settlement with Tencent, Liu mentioned.

Those app-level partnerships began in 2018, across the similar time Tencent Cloud started working with automakers for autonomous driving companies, the company mentioned.

Players in China’s auto business are increasingly betting that local drivers will want more autonomous driving features, that are basically assisted-driving capabilities due to regulation of present expertise.

Already in the primary quarter, 23% of recent automobiles bought in China got here with a restricted degree of assisted driving, referred to as “Level 2” in a classification system for autonomous driving, in accordance to Tencent.

With the brand new cloud computing product introduced final week, Liu mentioned abroad car corporations might develop automobiles with navigation and assisted-driving options custom-made for China’s roads and terrain.

“The information is owned by [the] OEM, the patron,” Liu mentioned, referring to authentic gear producers which offer elements and elements for one other company’s product.

“We simply present cloud service to retailer that information. The second factor is we offer an entire ecosystem. That ecosystem not solely embrace[s] our personal service and content material but in addition our companions’.”

Liu mentioned his company already companions with almost 40 auto manufacturers, together with BMW, SAIC and Nio, masking 120 automobile fashions. He additionally famous partnership talks with German and Japanese corporations.

BMW didn’t instantly reply to a CNBC request for remark. SAIC and Nio representatives spoke at Friday’s launch occasion for the “Tencent Intelligent Automobile Cloud” product.