Leeco, formerly known as Letv, is inching into the auto market after partnering with six domestic automotive firms for vehicle infotainment eco-system.
The Chinese Internet company is keen to extend its influence from video streaming platforms to consumer electronics and eventually cars.
Ecolink, a LeEco technology that integrates content from car-connected smartphones into a vehicle's head unit, will be used by Chinese carmakers BAIC, BYD and Dongfeng, as well as local infotainment system producers like ADAYO, HSAE, DESAY SV.
Ecolink will ride on the coattail of smartphones as easily updatable devices when the in-vehicle infotainment hasn't got its own communication modules and data plans, said Lee Zhao, vice president of Le Auto Telematics in charge of Ecolink.
An all-around infotainment system for vehicles, with a wide variety of location-based services, entertainment, communication and safety heads-up along the journey, is the next focal point of competition for carmakers around the world as they strive to extend their role from manufacturers to mobility service providers throughout a car's life cycle.
An existing equivalent of EcoLink is Ford's Applink, which opens up the car's dashboard for third-party developers to design car-enabled smartphone applications, from navigation, music player to social media.
LeEco's strength in promoting its own eco-system is its accumulation of exclusive video resources in sports game, music and TV dramas drawing on its original video-streaming business.
