Audi deepens strategic cooperation with Tencent

Traditional car companies and Internet giants are cooperating more closely in the field of Internet of Vehicles. On March 29, Tencent and Audi announced a strategic cooperation. Tencent will help Audi build a smart and interconnected digital ecosystem, including digital cockpits, digital marketing and user operations, and provide customized high-quality smart travel experiences for Audi users in China .

In fact, this is not the first time the two parties have cooperated. As early as 2016, Audi and Tencent launched a cooperation in vehicle infotainment innovation and marketing. After five years, the holding hands again this time will help both parties to jointly provide Chinese consumers with further customized services.

It is understood that this cooperation Tencent will inject social, content, service and other ecological resources and digital technologies into the Audi digital cockpit, and will provide WeChat car version, QQ music, Tencent car applet, Tencent map for some Audi models equipped with the latest generation of Audi connect service.

Among the above software, the most frequently used function is WeChat, which has become an essential social software in people's lives. In order to make it convenient for users to use it while driving, Audi owners can download the WeChat car version, which means that car owners can log in to the Internet of Vehicles directly with their WeChat.

Open the WeChat car version, the new information notification will remind the car owner in the form of voice interaction, and the car owner can realize the functions of sending messages, broadcasting messages and dialing WeChat calls through voice control, which will help Audi drivers to easily stay connected while driving and improve Driving safety. This function allows the car to transform from a vehicle into a smart carrier, thereby enhancing the linkage between the on-board WeChat and users more humanely.

"Strengthening strategic cooperation with Tencent will help us further expand the Audi product ecosystem tailored for Chinese users and provide customized services for their specific needs," said Werner Eichhorn, President of Audi China. "This move will further reflect our ‘In China, For China’  commitment and enhances the experience of Chinese users."

Werner Eichhorn, President of Audi China

In addition to digitalization in the future, electrification will also become the focus of Audi's development. Not long ago, Audi announced that it would stop the development of gasoline or diesel engines and will completely shift to the development and production of electric vehicles in 10 to 15 years.

It is understood that the Audi brand will increase its efforts to develop and produce electric vehicles in the future. The number of electric vehicle products will increase from the current 3 models to 7 models. By 2025, Audi's pure electric models will reach 20 models, and the plug-in hybrid power will be greatly expanded. Product sequence. Audi predicts that by 2025, about one-third of the cars delivered to customers worldwide will be pure electric or hybrid models.

As Audi’s most important market in the world, China plans to achieve a sales target of 1 million in my country by 2023. In order to achieve this goal, this year, Audi will launch 6 new energy vehicles, led by the domestic version of Audi e-tron. More than 30 electrified models will be launched in 2025, of which about 25 will be pure electric models.

It is worth mentioning that, in order to dispel users’ "power anxiety", Audi and CAMS will complete the construction of 500 overcharge stations and 3000 overcharge piles, and give priority to the realization of every 5 kilometers in 8 core cities across the country. The layout of an overcharge station.

It is not surprising that Audi has increased its investment in new energy vehicles and even announced the transition to electrification. Prior to this, the Swedish luxury brand Volvo announced that it will achieve full electric power in 2030 and only sell electric vehicles by then. In addition, auto companies including MINI and GM have announced the timing of electrification. In the face of increasingly fierce competition in electrification, Audi must adapt to the development of the times and the market, and it will lag behind other brands if it moves too late.

Summary: Digitization and electrification are trends and key areas for the future development of the automotive industry. Audi, a car company with a century-old history, uses Tencent's advantages in Internet technology to inject New Year's blood into the vehicle network. The further in-depth cooperation between the two parties this time will inject new vitality into the Internet of Vehicles market. For consumers, more new and interesting in-vehicle service functions will meet their changing new needs.