Gasgoo Munich-Dongfeng Stellantis Automotive Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (DSAT) signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with Volcano Engine in Wuhan on Nov. 11. The collaboration spans joint development of smart cockpit systems, co-creation of apps, SoC chip planning, and forward-looking tech research. With this deal, DSAT becomes the first joint-venture automaker to integrate Volcano Engine's AI cockpit assistant.
Image credit: DSAT
DSAT said its future models will fully adopt Volcano Engine's AI cockpit solutions. The partners are prioritizing on-device intelligence: vehicles will use local computing for voice wake-up and intent recognition, processing data onboard rather than beaming it to the cloud. Even without a network connection, over 90% of core features will remain functional.
DSAT was jointly funded by six parties, including Dongfeng Motor and Stellantis. Established in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone this August with registered capital of roughly 8.2 billion yuan, the company has initially mapped out four new-energy models. Set to roll out from 2027, the lineup will span both BEV and PHEV powertrains. Under the shareholder division of labor, Dongfeng will lead R&D in new-energy and smart-connected tech, while Stellantis contributes its brands and global sales network.
Groundwork for the tech integration was laid earlier. In October, DSAT awarded a direct procurement contract for Volcano Engine Cloud product rentals worth 23.32 million yuan to Beijing Volcano Engine Technology. At the group level, Dongfeng Motor and Volcano Engine had already signed a strategic pact in April, focusing on smart cockpits, enterprise digital upgrades, and AI cloud platform development.
