Cariad, the automotive software unit of German carmaker Volkswagen Group, has joined hands with Chinese handset giant Vivo to develop cross-industry interconnection innovation solutions between smartphones and cars.
Cariad's Chinese subsidiary and Vivo will jointly set up a Mobile x Mobility Fusion Joint Innovative Lab, it announced on Nov. 3. The lab will focus on research and development of the highly competitive smart cockpits, including the synchronization and integration of human-computer interaction interfaces between smartphones and smart cars, the integration and sharing of user data in vehicles, and the seamless connection and smooth flow of smart applications inside and outside autos, it added.
The pair also plans to cooperate in technical fields involving artificial intelligence and large language models in the future, Cariad noted.
The M Lab's R&D team comprises local technicians from Cariad China and Vivo to respond to and meet the needs of Chinese consumers more quickly, relevant people at Volkswagen China told Yicai.
A new trend has emerged in China for mobility and telecommunications industries to cooperate under the tide of intelligent vehicles.
Huawei Technologies, Xiaomi, and other handset giants have begun to lay out their car businesses, while Geely Auto, Nio, and other carmakers have started to make phones. The two sectors can integrate their respective strengths, including the powerful software capabilities of smartphone makers and tech firms and the hardware, manufacturing, and other advantages of automakers to create smart cars with better consumer experience.
On July 25, Volkswagen said it invested USD700 million for a 5 percent stake in Chinese electric vehicle startup Xpeng Motors to jointly develop new models with smart connectivity. They plan to make two new VW-branded EV models for the Chinese market for mid-sized cars, debuting them in 2026, and jointly develop a new localization platform for the next generation of intelligent connected vehicles, it noted.
To speed up the development of smart car software, Cariad has intensified its cooperation with Chinese firms recently. In addition to Xpeng and Vivo, it previously established joint ventures with tech companies Horizon Robotics and Thunder Software Technology.
Volkswagen's luxury car brand Audi and its Chinese partner SAIC Motor also inked a deal to jointly develop and expand the intelligent connected vehicles product mix in the high-end market quickly and efficiently, it announced on July 26.
