Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has established a partnership with automaker SAIC Volkswagen to offer smart home services in Passat vehicles and other models, JD.com announced on Wednesday.
The smart home services will be powered by JD Whale, the company’s internet of things (IoT) platform, and will allow users to control home appliances including air conditioners, lights, and curtains remotely from their cars via voice command or touch screen.
The two companies will also collaborate to launch smart maintenance services in the future, which will allow users to check their car’s condition from home and provide maintenance recommendations after analyzing the vehicle’s overall condition and customer behavior.
JD.com first launched its smart home platform in 2014. Its IoT platform is currently connected to over 150 million devices from more than 1,000 brands, allowing 25 million families nationwide to control home devices, said the e-commerce giant.
This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.
