Alibaba partners with FAW Group to build intelligent connected vehicles

Alibaba has formed a partnership with Chinese automobile company FAW Group to build intelligent connected vehicles (ICV) in China.

The latest partnership will leverage the Alibaba-led open mobility platform, Banma Network Technology (Banma) to build the new operating system for its ICVs. Banma’s technologies and platform resources will also be used to help FAW design smart cockpit solutions for its future vehicles.

In addition, FAW is aiming to establish its global digital infrastructure by using Alibaba’s ecosystem resources, such as Alibaba Cloud's global infrastructure. The automobile giant will also look to boost its capabilities in product research and development, marketing, customer services, and operations through Alibaba’s data intelligence technologies.

Moving forward, the two companies will be working together to explore other technologies including edge computing, Internet of Things, and blockchain for various applications such as smart logistics and high definition maps.

This partnership is the first of its kind since August 2019, when  Alibaba opened up its fundamental operating system technology for use by all its partners in the auto sector.  Alibaba began developing its auto operating system in 2010 and debuted its first internet-connected car in 2016. Currently, about one million cars in China are equipped with Alibaba’s auto solutions.