|
 Rivals including Daimler and Nissan Motor Co Ltd are also looking at
ways to give drivers safe, hands-free access to mobile apps in
China, home to the world's largest number of smartphone users.
WeChat is China's most prevalent chatting app, with about half a
billion active monthly users.
"There's a demand from our customers," David Huang, a senior
engineer who heads Ford's Asia Pacific connected services unit, told
Reuters. "People want to stay connected, stay informed and stay
entertained all the time, even when they're driving."
Ford is in talks with Tencent over the business aspects of putting
the app in its cars, Huang said. Tencent declined to comment.
Cars are becoming a key battleground for technology industry giants,
including Google Inc <GOOGL.O> and Apple Inc <APPL.O>, as they seek
to develop a market where drivers will be online while on the road.
China could be on the front line of that battle as predominantly
first-time car buyers in the country are also early adopters who
understand more about technology than engine specifications.
Huang said Ford envisages drivers syncing their phone to the car's
software system and controlling specific WeChat functions, chosen by
Tencent and then certified by Ford as safe, through voice commands
or limited use of buttons.
Making WeChat and other apps convenient, safe and legal to use while
driving could help automakers gain market share in China, especially
as auto sales growth eases in a slowing economy. Yale Zhang,
managing director of Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive
Foresight, said connectivity was a key deciding factor for Chinese
customers buying a car.
"Those kind of things are the fundamental things people will
consider," he added.
Many Chinese use WeChat's free voice messaging feature instead of
phone calls, holding up their smartphones like a walkie-talkie as
they speak, tap and listen to replies.
[to top of second column] |
They often do that while they are driving, breaking a 2004 traffic
law that bans any behavior that hinders safe driving.
"In a car, if you had software that can sync with your WeChat, that
would be very useful," said Mao Yanan, a Beijing resident who admits
to holding her phone to use the app while driving.
Other automakers are also eyeing apps and online services.
In August, General Motors Co and Tencent launched a platform for GM
owners to use WeChat to find a nearby dealership or send the
location of their car to a friend.
Nissan wants the app in its cars at some point, a spokeswoman said.
Daimler, which owns the Mercedes-Benz brand popular in China, is
also researching how to include apps and services from Tencent and
rivals Baidu Inc and Alibaba Group Holding <BABA.N> in its cars, the
company's China head Hubertus Troska said.
"The race is on, very clearly," Troska told reporters in Beijing
last week.
(Additional reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by Miral Fahmy
and Kenneth Maxwell)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
