BEIJING—Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's leading car manufacturer, along with its affiliate Kia Corp., announced a partnership with Chinese technology firm Baidu to enhance connected car technologies. The memorandum of understanding, which was signed last week in Beijing, encompasses cooperation in areas such as connectivity, self-driving technologies, and compliance with Beijing's stringent data regulations through the use of Baidu’s smart cloud computing technology.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this strategic collaboration aims to leverage artificial intelligence technologies to explore new business models in the Chinese market. Hyundai and Kia, through their joint efforts with Baidu, intend to contribute significantly to the connected car ecosystem in China. This agreement highlights the expanding market presence of connected cars in the region, which is seeing rapid growth.
Hyundai has reported that the sales of connected cars in China are expected to reach 17 million units this year, a significant increase from the 7.2 million units recorded in 2019. The partnership marks a continuation of the relationship between the South Korean carmakers and Baidu, which began in 2014 and has included projects such as the development of voice recognition technology.