Mercedes-Benz China deepens strategic cooperation with ByteDance

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and Beijing Zitiao Network Technology Co., Ltd. (ByteDance) announced on Sept. 23 an upgraded strategic cooperation agreement to accelerate the integration and application of AI technologies across Mercedes-Benz's business in China.

Built on their 2023 collaboration with ByteDance's Volcano Engine, the expanded partnership will focus on intelligent driving assistance, smart cockpit systems, digital R&D, marketing, and customer operations. The first Mercedes-Benz model equipped with ByteDance's Doubao large AI model—the new all-electric CLA—will be launched this autumn.

In the smart cockpit domain, Mercedes-Benz plans to integrate ByteDance's AI capabilities into its evolving cockpit platform, enabling rapid development of intelligent applications and more personalized in-car experiences. The two companies will also explore multimodal large models and generative AI, incorporating entertainment, navigation, and lifestyle services into the cockpit.

The cooperation will extend to R&D, where Mercedes-Benz's China team has developed a DevOps platform capable of turning ideas into software applications within 24 hours. ByteDance will support with data platform construction, AI model integration, and analytics to improve efficiency. In digital marketing, Mercedes-Benz aims to leverage ByteDance's content ecosystem and media platforms to enhance customer engagement.