BMW and Alibaba have announced a partnership to co-develop AI technology for BMW vehicles in China, highlighting Alibaba’s push to commercialize its AI capabilities and BMW’s efforts to tailor intelligent features for the Chinese market. The collaboration will see a custom AI engine — based on Alibaba’s Yan AI and developed with its intelligent cockpit unit Banma — integrated into BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant, debuting in Neue Klasse models produced in China from 2026. The AI system will power two agents, Travel Companion and Car Genius, offering enhanced voice interaction, real-time assistance, and personalized services, such as combining traffic data and user preferences to suggest dining options.