Deepal Automobile Teases New Smart Cockpit AI Assistant
Deepal Automobile released a promotional teaser on September 18 previewing an upcoming smart cockpit product with the slogan "AI with warmth, understanding your travel better." The square-shaped design shown in the official poster indicates that the device will be an in-car AI companion assistant. The announcement highlights how EV makers are racing to differentiate their smart cockpits through emotional AI companions and multimodal voice interaction. As competitors like NIO, Zeekr, and Volcengine launch dedicated AI hardware and cockpit assistants, in-car AI experience is becoming a key selling point in the modern electric vehicle market. While Deepal has not revealed complete specs or launch pricing yet, the product follows hardware designs like NIO's NOMI and Zeekr's 799-RMB Eva robot, which uses dynamic sound tracking and an AMOLED display. It also comes right after Volcengine released its Doubao Cockpit Assistant for remote control and trip routing.
## BACKGROUND
In-car AI assistants aim to transition automotive infotainment systems from passive voice-command platforms into interactive, emotional companions. NIO launched the industry's first mass-produced hardware companion NOMI in 2017, using a dashboard-mounted rotating screen for multimodal feedback. Newer cockpit solutions integrate large language models to process complex queries, track talkers dynamically, and control vehicle functions.