Zhao Xintong Named BYD’s Champion Ambassador

by GasanZammit EditorBYDPosted on Comments are Disabled

ZHAO XINTONG NAMED BYD’S CHAMPION AMBASSADOR BYD is proud to officially announce that Zhao Xintong, the 2025 Snooker World Championship winner, has been appointed as the brand’s Champion Ambassador. At the recent 2025 Snooker World Championship, Zhao Xintong claimed victory with an impressive 18-12 win in the final, becoming the first champion from China—and indeed all of Asia—to win the title. His triumph represents a profound shift in the sport’s global landscape, marking a historic milestone for snooker in the region. Speaking about the collaboration, Zhao said: “I’m thrilled to become BYD’s Champion Ambassador. BYD has been part of the journey, from hometown memories to UK training days. As an athlete, I deeply understand that behind every championship lies daily perseverance and relentless dedication. BYD’s spirit of constant breakthroughs and pursuit of innovation resonates profoundly with the core values we uphold in snooker. Together, we’ll pursue more victories.” Li Yunfei, General Manager of BYD Branding and PR Division, remarked: “Rooted in Shenzhen, both Zhao Xintong and BYD now set global benchmarks. While Zhao demonstrates the spirit of a champion on the snooker table, BYD has become the world new-energy vehicle (NEV) champion through technological prowess. It is this shared drive for excellence that brings us together. Through this partnership, we champion sporting greatness and amplify China’s innovative vision on the world stage.” Guided by its development philosophy of “Technology Based, Innovation Oriented,” BYD continues to lead the NEV industry. From January to April this year, BYD maintained its global dominance, selling ‌1.38 million NEVs‌ with ‌47% year-on-year (YoY) growth‌. In overseas markets, Q1 2025 saw significant breakthroughs in key countries including the UK, Italy, Brazil, Thailand, and Australia, with sales rising steadily. As of now, BYD’s NEV footprint spans ‌six continents‌, reaching over ‌110 countries and regions‌. In 2024, BYD retained its title as the ‌world’s top NEV seller‌ with ‌4.27 million units sold‌, including ‌433,000 exports,‌ marking a ‌71.8% YoY increase‌—the fastest growth among Chinese automotive brands. Through intensive R&D investment, BYD continues to deliver ‌innovative and competitive products‌, advancing green technology globally. Looking ahead, BYD and Zhao Xintong will work hand in hand to spread the champion spirit across the globe.

Volvo Cars And Google Expand Partnership With Gemini Integration And Accelerated Automotive Innovation

by GasanZammit EditorVolvoPosted on Comments are Disabled

Volvo Cars and Google expand partnership with Gemini integration and accelerated automotive innovation Volvo Cars today announce​d​ an expanded partnership​ with Google​​™​, to more rapidly deliver the latest Android Automotive OS innovations to customers that own Volvo models with Google built-in. This includes Google Gemini™, which the companies demonstrated together at Google I/O 2025 in a Volvo EX90.​ ​Also, Volvo​ car​s will now serve as one of Google’s reference hardware platforms for future Android development in cars. “For years, Google and Volvo Cars have collaborated closely to bring cutting-edge technology to connected cars,” said Patrick Brady, Vice President of Android for Cars, Google. “We’re excited to deepen this partnership, accelerating the pace of innovation that will not only improve the driving experience for Volvo customers but also set new benchmarks for the automotive industry.” With Google’s upcoming launch of Google Gemini in the car, drivers of Volvo cars with Google built-in will be among the first to benefit from the power of the latest conversational AI technology. Gemini in the car can better understand ​what you want while driving through natural conversations​. You can talk naturally to craft messages, translate them into another language before sending, ask questions from the car’s user manual or learn specific details about your destination. This kind of natural conversation can help reduce your cognitive load so that you can stay focused on driving, reducing distractions for everyone onboard. Gemini will replace the current Google Assistant in Volvo cars with Google built-in later this year. Volvo drivers among the first to enjoy new Android features  Through the expanded partnership, Volvo cars now also become one of the reference hardware platformsfor Google’s development work on the Android operating system for cars. This means Google will use Volvo Cars as a lead development partner for ​new ​features and updates, before adding them to the main Android codebase. This allows Google and Volvo Cars to innovate together on new connected experiences​, making sure Volvo drivers will be among the first to enjoy the latest Android features and performance enhancements. It will also ​accelerate advancements in the connected car space for the entire automotive industry and drivers around the world.  “We strive to deliver human-centric technology, and a stunning customer experience is an essential part of this. Through this partnership with Google, we are able to bring the very latest features and capabilities from the leading consumer eco-system into our products first,” says Alwin Bakkenes, head of global software engineering at Volvo Cars. “With our expanding partnership, we’re collaborating on cutting-edge solutions that shape the future of connected cars.”