As EVs morph into digital devices on wheels in China, markets appear for onboard infotainment, sci-fi features

Until very recently, vehicles were used as mobility tools — they helped people to travel from point A to point B. Now, however, vehicles are taking on new roles, especially in China, where they are on their way to becoming digital devices on wheels.

Li Xiaolin, a 27-year old lawyer in Beijing, who is considering buying her first car, said: "Of course the new-generation vehicle should look fancy. More important are the smart features onboard. I don't think cars nowadays should look like what my dad has driven all his life. It should be a place you like sitting in."

She is comparing models from Neta, Xpeng and Aion, all of which are Chinese startups that enjoy wide recognition among young, tech-savvy car buyers in the country.

In China, the world's largest and most dynamic market for new energy vehicles, or NEVs, it has almost become a must for newly launched models to have functions that were part of science fiction not long ago.

Most electric vehicles or EVs now available in the Chinese market can adjust seating and other personalized things automatically for the driver thanks to facial ID technology, and the driver uses voice commands, with different dialects recognizable, to do everything from navigation to music and air conditioning adjustments.

And they don't have to be expensive to have such features. For a budget of around 150,000 yuan ($21,680), there are models from China's largest SUV maker Great Wall Motors, which can detect if the driver is tired or in a blue mood and automatically select music for them, if they turn the mode on.

Those from Aion can go and park themselves after the driver and passengers get off, and they will drive out of parking lots to pick up the passengers at designated places after a tap on the cellphone screen.

The trend started to emerge around a decade ago, when Tesla introduced a bigger-than-usual display into its Model S series, instead of conventional buttons found in established carmakers.

Startups that came later used more and bigger displays to impress the customers, vowing to offer them something totally new from what they have long been accustomed to.

With the displays have come more onboard infotainment, and carmakers then add other features to make their vehicles stand out among 100 plus new launches a year, said Zhang Yongwei, vice-president of the China EV 100, an industry think tank.

One example is the Aion Y. Targeting the young, it has a 14-inch display, which allows the occupants to sing karaoke and play video games.

Or they can use the 50-inch projector screen and adjust the seats to turn them into a sofa to relax and enjoy a movie in comfort.

No, this is not a concept car but a mass-produced model that has been in the market since 2021.

More stunning vehicles were seen at this year's Auto Shanghai in late April, which was the world's first major brick-and-mortar motoring exhibition this year.

Chinese startup Hozon launched its Neta GT. Besides its stunning capacity for acceleration from zero to 100 kilometers/hour in 3.7 seconds, it offers an array of interesting modes.

For instance, with a tap on the phone screen, connected via the customized app, or on the dashboard screen, the romantic mode can be turned on to play music or recordings set in advance, with videos played or pictures shown on the 17.6-inch display, and ambience lights will be turned on as well to create a perfect atmosphere to, say, propose.

By selecting the karaoke mode, windows will be shut, the cabin will give off fragrance, ambience lights will turn on and a karaoke app will launch, resembling the real places.

The rise of the new segment in the car market has seen partnerships between technology companies and carmakers.

Baidu and Geely are working on a brand called Jidu, which is introducing the latest technologies from the internet giant including its ChatGPT-like artificial intelligence services.

The moves signify the company's efforts to offer a better smart car experience to consumers by tapping into Geely's manufacturing expertise and Baidu's digital technology capabilities.

Another Chinese giant, Huawei, has more partners including Seres, BAIC Group's Arcfox and Changan Auto's Avatr.

Their models feature Huawei's operating system, which allows users to connect their Huawei phones easily to the vehicles, and its autonomous driving solutions.

JAC is the latest member on the list of Huawei's carmaker partners. The two are joining hands to build premi-um models that will be priced over 1 million yuan.

They are building a 2.6 billion yuan plant in Hefei, Anhui province, whose construction is expected to be finished in early 2024.

Edward Wang, a J.D. Power China analyst, said smart features and exciting onboard experiences are becoming increasingly important factors for car buyers.

"Buyers do not necessarily purchase a model solely because of these functions, but they certainly won't buy a car if it doesn't have them," he said.

Wang said Chinese carmakers are leading in this area thanks to their speed in integrating such technologies into their models and, more importantly, the customers who are open to new things.