Tencent will help German automaker BMW build an R&D platform for autonomous driving technologies, the Chinese tech giant said in a press release.
China is at the forefront for developing autonomous driving and BMW want to play a pioneering role, said Gao Le, the CEO of BMW’s China business in the statement.
He added that the new platform will help BMW roll out autonomous driving solutions that are suitable for local roads in China.
BMW was the first international vehicle manufacturer to obtain a self-driving road test license in China in 2018.
Tencent said that its cooperation with BMW has deepened, extending beyond services such as in-car infotainment.
While BMW and Tencent strengthen their collaboration on some fronts, their partnership is not exclusive.
Tencent has already built a high-definition map platform, an autonomous driving data storage cloud platform, and a simulation platform, which is open to multiple clients.
BMW earlier this week signed NavInfo as its high-definition mapping service provider.
Tencent also has its own self-driving road testing license in Beijing and Shenzhen.