BYD, Geely, Great Wall Add DeepSeek AI To EVs

BYD, Geely and Great Wall have become the latest Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers to announce plans to install DeepSeek’s AI models into their cars, in an ultra-competitive market that has seen a frenzy of price-cutting over the past two years.

AI technology from start-up DeepSeek has become the latest must-have feature for high-tech cars, after its rapid rise to worldwide popularity has made it a symbol of national pride.

At a press event on Monday BYD, the world’s largest electric carmaker, said it would incorporate DeepSeek’s models into its Xuanji vehicle software and assisted driving technology to improve existing AI capabilities.

In-vehicle AI

Competitor Geely, which owns EV brands Zeekr and Polestar, said it would integrate DeepSeek’s R1 into its Xinrui AI model, local media reports said.

Carmaker Great Wall said last week it had added DeepSeek into its “Coffee Intelligence” connected in-vehicle software.

Dongfeng Motor, which makes legacy vehicles, said its Dongfeng Nissan joint venture would also incorporate DeepSeek’s software.

More than a dozen carmaker, including Stellantis-backed start-up Leapmotor, have announced plans to integrate DeepSeek in the past two weeks, local media reports said.

Chery Automobile and SAIC Motor are among the other firms that have announced such plans.

The start-up’s rapid rise to international popularity, based on an open-source approach, has rattled markets and challenged assumptions of US dominance of the industry.

“DeepSeek’s open-source model has attracted global developers to participate in optimisation and security testing through multiple platforms such as GitHub, forming a vibrant collaborative innovation ecosystem,” said research firm IDC in a report last week.

“For end users, their willingness and ability to deploy, train and use large language models will also significantly improve.”

Competitive market

Meanwhile, intense competition in the EV market in China, where electric vehicles make up more than half of new car sales, has prompted carmakers to introduce intelligent features to retain customers.

BYD said this month it would offer automated driving systems in nearly all its cars, in a move seen as a major step toward making such systems accessible to drivers.

BYD’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), called God’s Eye, is to be integrated into at least 21 models including the Seagull budget hatchback priced as low as 69,800 yuan ($9,555, £7,724).

The system includes such features as automated navigation on motorways and self-parking via a smartphone app, BYD said.

Carmakers in mainland China cut the prices of 195 models, including petrol, pure electric and hybrid cars, from January to November last year, up from 150 models the previous year, the China Passenger Car Association said.