BYTON partners with ViacomCBS, AccuWeather, others to enrich in-car experience; launches world`s first 48-inch screen in a production car

We last wrote about Byton in May 2019 when the Chinese all-electric SUV startup announced its Series C fundraising. The startup has experienced tremendous growth since then. In September 2019, Byton announced its first EV was ready for production. At the time, the company said the its first car will include a massive 48-inch screen dashboard. Now, the company is making true on its promise.

Today, ahead of CES 2020, Byton announced a wide range of partnerships which will be featured on its 48-inch screen in its production car. The partners include ViacomCBS and Access for in-car theater experience; AccuWeather, offering real time weather updates; Aiquido for voice control of apps; Cloud Car, providing a cloud-based infrastructure; Road.Travel for online trip booking and XPERI for digital HD Radio. In conjunction with the partnerships, Byton also announced its developer program to enable innovators to create applications for the its in-car experience.

With the partnership, Byton users will have access to cutting-edge hyper local forecasting technology from AccuWeather, the proven leader in worldwide weather forecasting accuracy. As part of the BYTON connected car strategy the M-Byte, using AccuWeather, will not only report the weather conditions on-demand but intuitively inform users of upcoming changes in weather at their destination.

“When BYTON committed to creating the first smart device on wheels, this is exactly the kind of engagement we had in mind,” said BYTON CEO Daniel Kirchert. “The BYTON M-Byte with its unique user experience will offer developers the opportunity to present in-car interactions in a way that is more engaging than ever before.”

“Like any great smart device, it is not just what it can do but what you do with it,” noted Andreas Schaaf, BYTON Chief Customer Officer (CCO). “With the new partnerships announced and the limitless potential offered by the BYTON Developer Program, we envision a revolutionary interaction that will be a game changer for the BYTON M-Byte and its users.”

Founded in 2016 by executives from Tesla, BMW, and Nissan, Byton develops and builds electric cars for the automotive future, in which mobility is increasingly becoming a digitally networked experience. BYTON’s core team consists of leading experts from the automotive, technology and digital industries.

“The future of in-vehicle infotainment is an exciting opportunity to strengthen and extend our connection to our audiences within today’s fragmented media environment,” says Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS. “We look forward to building upon our relationship with ACCESS and Byton to reimagine the entertainment experience for a new and captive generation of drivers and passengers.”

With its central production and development facility in Nanjing, China, its design development center in Munich and its technology development center in Silicon Valley, Byton is internationally positioned and operates globally. The startup is backed by several Chinese investors, including Tencent Holdings, which is now also a major investor in Tesla.. To date, the company has raised over $200 million in total funding.