German automaker BMW announced plans to integrate artificial intelligence from Chinese startup DeepSeek into its new vehicle models sold in China later this year, marking a significant expansion of its AI partnerships in the country.
CEO Oliver Zipse made the announcement at the Shanghai Auto Show, emphasizing China’s role in advancing AI technologies.
“Key advances in AI are happening here,” Zipse said. “We are strengthening AI partnerships for integration in our vehicles in China.”
BMW also unveiled its next-generation iDrive system, dubbed the “BMW Panoramic iDrive,” set to debut in Chinese-market vehicles as early as mid-2026. The Panoramic iDrive features an expansive display system that projects information across the full width of the windshield, offering an advanced evolution of traditional heads-up displays.
The system will run on BMW’s newly developed “Operating System X,” 70% of which consists of locally developed software and source code tailored for the Chinese market. In addition, BMW introduced its AI-based Intelligent Personal Assistant, powered by a proprietary language model co-developed with Alibaba.
The assistant will be enhanced through DeepSeek’s AI reasoning capabilities over time.
These innovations are part of BMW’s Neue Klasse electric vehicle platform, which is gaining attention for its ambitious performance and range capabilities. The interior upgrades, including AI enhancements and display innovations, aim to set BMW apart in an increasingly competitive EV and smart vehicle market.
BMW has not confirmed whether these new features will be rolled out globally, but it is expected that other markets will follow after their initial launch in China.
