Alibaba, BMW partner on digital features for car and home

Alibaba Group Holding and German automaker BMW Group said on Thursday they will jointly develop a range of "digitalized experiences for the car and home" for all new BMW models sold in China from the first half of 2018.

Under the agreement, BMW car owners in China can use smart speakers to remotely access information about their cars, such as how far they can drive with what's left in the gas tank and whether doors and windows have been left open or closed, Alibaba said in a statement.

"BMW Group is working to shift from a traditional luxury auto manufacturer and service provider to a technology company, with automated driving, digital connectivity, mobility services and electrification as some of the central pillars of our new strategy," Joseph Zheng, vice-president of digital services and business models at BMW China, explained regarding the rationale for the collaboration.

The Chinese tech giant will help the automaker integrate smart speakers with BMW's cloud-based infotainment platform and the sound-recognition and processing technology developed by its cloud computing division.

According to Sean Ding, chief scientist for the Internet of Things division at Alibaba Cloud, the tie-up aims to bring people one step closer to "easily opening the car's heater on a winter morning as soon as the car owner wakes up, or controlling their refrigerator and washing machine from inside their car".

The announcement is the latest in a string of endeavors from Alibaba in the automobile sector. Earlier this month, it announced a partnership with Ford Motor Co to develop intelligent vehicles, and is slated to open its Auto Vending Machine next month.