Kandi Technologies (NASDAQ: KNDI), a Chinese firm that manufactures EVs and offers them for short-term hire using automated multilevel garages, has formed a strategic partnership with several companies in the automotive and internet fields to promote connected EVs.

The partners include Geely Automobile, which already operates a joint venture with Kandi, Internet giant Alibaba, which will contribute data analytics and cloud computing services, ZTE, which will provide wireless charging technology, and Uber China.

In July, China’s government unveiled its Internet Plus plan, which aims to link manufacturers with tech firms to expand the use of services such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Promoting EVs is also a national priority, as the country invests billions in subsidies and research grants for battery development and charging infrastructure.

“Traffic jams and air pollution are pushing gasoline-powered cars into a dead end,” said Kandi President Hu Xiaoming. “The development of data technologies is providing us with an enormous opportunity to make electric cars much easier to use.”

Source: Bloomberg News