Ford Seeks Chinese Chat App

Ford Motor Co. confirms it is in talks to tailor a version of China's popular WeChat app for use in cars it sells in the country, Reuters reports.

With nearly 500 million active users, WeChat is China's most popular text and voice messaging service. The app is offered by Shenzhen-based Tencent Holdings Ltd., a provider of smartphone apps, online gaming, social networking services and a mobility system that matches roaming taxis with nearby customers.

David Huang, who heads Ford's Asia-Pacific connected services unit, tells Reuters the carmaker envisions a system that would sync the driver's phone to the car and use voice commands to control certain WeChat functions.

Huang says discussions are centered on the business aspects of introducing the app, and the need to limit capabilities to those that permit connectivity without distracting the driver.