Baidu, Chery launch electric car with face-scanning payment, AR navigation features – South China Morning Post
What happened: Search giant Baidu has launched a production model electric vehicle (EV) with car manufacturer Chery Automotive, featuring an AI operating system that supports facial recognition payments, augmented reality navigation, and control of home devices while in transit. It also provides personalizations such as driver-specific greetings and automatic seat and light adjustments.
Why it’s important: Chery is looking to attract younger customers by incorporating more advanced technologies into its products, while Baidu accelerates its involvement in the auto sector amid slowing search advertising revenue. The search giant is already well known for its Apollo autonomous driving system and has been named one of China’s AI Champions by the government. It has also increased its investments in electric vehicle startups, most recently leading a $450 million funding round in WM Motor. The company previously invested in Shanghai-based EV maker Nio.