Geely's open-source interface GKUI connects smartphones, homes, and vehicles via the cloud

November 02, 2018 | Case Study

Connectivity features in vehicles today are limited in many ways. They rely on Bluetooth smartphone tethering, meaning that many features, such as music or navigation, become unavailable without a smartphone. It is also limited by the type of connectivity platform; Apple's CarPlay did not support Google Maps and Waze until recent months and still imposes a lot of restrictions on the app design. Geely is looking to change all of this with its GKUI interface, which leverages its in-house cloud platform to provide a digital interface that is always connected via in-vehicle cellular connectivity. GKUI is also looking to carry over personal preferences that would be on a smartphone by connecting a Geely account (called a GID account) with third-party applications like music players. With GKUI being an open-source platform, its app ecosystem has already received buy-ins from many credible players in China.