In December 2015, British carmaker Aston Martin and Chinese content streaming service and hardware manufacturer Letv signed a MOU. This partnership has led to the development of a new touch based infotainment system for Aston Martin cars. The company showcased fruits of this partnership at CES 2016 where Aston Martin was present with its Rapide S project, showcasing a 13.3-inch touch screen as a central console and 12.2inch display instead of the usual instrument cluster. The concept also integrates Letv’s latest speech recognition technology. Letv showcased its first Autolink system in November 2015.
Read the full press release below
Leading global technology company Letv and luxury sports car brand Aston Martin today revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show the first results of their collaboration – an Aston Martin Rapide S incorporating the latest Letv Internet of the Vehicle (IOV) system.
Aston Martin and Letv signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on December 3rd 2015 to confirm research projects that include the development of connected electric vehicles through to manufacturing consultation on future electric vehicles.
The ideation and engineering of the Aston Martin Rapide S project has been led by the Letv IOV team and has focused on a new concept for the centre console and instrument panel. The center console is now a 13.3 inch HD touch screen and the instrument panel is now a 12.2 inch screen incorporating electronic instrumentation and gauges. The original human-machine interaction (HMI) has also been updated by integrating Letv’s latest speech recognition technology.
Letv first showed its Autolink system in November 2015, the first time the technology company had released a product specifically developed for automotive applications. The collaboration with Aston Martin on the Rapide S further demonstrates the capabilities of the Letv global open auto eco-system. The Aston Martin Rapide S concept has been engineered to work with Letv’s other devices and will include remote monitoring and services with the support of LeCloud through the vehicle's Wi-Fi system.
Commenting on the significance of the reveal, Ding Lei, co-founder, global vice chairman and China and Asia Pacific CEO of Letv Super Car, said, "After a few months 'efforts, we finished the integration of an Aston Martin vehicle and the Letv IOV system. We have successfully equipped this supercar brand with over 100 years of history with an 'Internet brain'."
Commenting on the project, Dr. Andrew Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin said: "Aston Martin is renowned for the beauty and quality of its hand-crafted cars. The integration of Letv advanced connected technologies into this bespoke environment is a natural progression as we look to the future demands of our customers".