BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) said on Friday it will offer its Chinese customers more video and gaming content next year, marking the first time the automaker will offer internet-connected games in its vehicles.
Two video-streaming channels from cartoon-focused Bilibili (NASDAQ: BILI) and Alibaba-backed (NYSE: BABA) Youku will be added for a total of four. Owners will also be able to entertain themselves with three online games - mahjong and two versions of poker from Chinese tech-giant Tencent <0700.HK>.
The games and videos will only start after the cars are properly parked, Tesla said, adding that new offerings will come sometime in first quarter. Owners often use the entertainment offerings while re-charging their cars or indulge after arriving back home from work.
The Silicon Valley automaker, widely seen as a leader in in-car infotainment, offers a range of games in its vehicles for the U.S. market but they are not internet-connected.
Keeping Chinese customers happy is a priority for Tesla which has built a $2 billion factory in the world's biggest auto market and set itself a target of building 1,000 cars a week by the end of 2019.
Unlike the United States, it has also held racing events and showroom parties in China.
Tesla has started transporting China-built cars out of its Shanghai factory, according to its Weibo posts. It sold around 38,700 vehicles in China in the year to end-November, according to consultancy LMC Automotive.
(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
路透北京/上海5月23日电-特斯拉公司(Tesla Inc.)周五表示,明年将向中国客户提供更多视频和游戏内容,这是特斯拉首次在车内提供联网游戏。
将增加两个视频流媒体频道,分别来自以卡通为主题的bilibili(纳斯达克代码:Bili)和阿里巴巴(纽约证券交易所市场代码:Baba)支持的优酷网(Youku)。用户还可以玩三款网络游戏--麻将和中国科技巨头腾讯的两款扑克。
特斯拉说,游戏和视频只有在汽车正确停放之后才会开始,并补充说,新产品将在第一季度某个时候推出。车主经常在充电时使用娱乐用品,或者下班回家后放纵一下。
这家硅谷汽车制造商被广泛认为是汽车信息娱乐领域的领头羊,它为美国市场提供了一系列的汽车游戏,但它们并不是互联网连接的。
让中国客户满意是特斯拉的首要任务之一。特斯拉已在这个全球最大的汽车市场建立了一家价值20亿美元的工厂,并为自己设定了到2019年年底每周生产1000辆汽车的目标。
与美国不同的是,它还在中国举办了赛车活动和陈列室派对。
根据特斯拉微博,特斯拉已经开始将中国制造的汽车从上海工厂运出。咨询公司LMC Automotive的数据显示,在截至11月底的一年里,该公司在中国售出了约38700辆汽车。
(孙宜磊和吴作栋报道;Edwina Gibbs编辑)