Your car can now order food as Alibaba pushes Qwen AI into cars

Alibaba is turning cars into smart assistants. Its Qwen AI model is now moving into vehicles from top Chinese automakers, as the race to win electric car buyers shifts from hardware to software.

At the Beijing Auto Show, the company said its system will power in-car services like food orders, hotel bookings, and ticket purchases, all through voice commands.

The move puts Alibaba stock (BABA) at the center of a growing market for AI in cars, where convenience may matter as much as battery range.

A new battleground: Electric vehicle software platforms

The rollout comes at a tough time for electric vehicle sales. Growth is slowing. Car brands now need new ways to stand out. That is where software comes in.

Automakers including BYD, Geely, Li Auto, and Volkswagen joint ventures will use Qwen in their cars. The system works on Nvidia automotive chips, allowing it to run even with weak internet. It mixes on-device computing with cloud systems to understand voice, plan tasks, and connect to apps.

Drivers can speak naturally while the car handles the rest from navigation to in-car payments systems.

Cars that book, pay, and deliver

With Qwen, a driver could ask the car to order food, book a hotel, and track a package, all at once.

The AI breaks the task into steps and completes them across different services, transforming cars from just machines into service hubs.

Earlier this year, FAW Group added Qwen to its Hongqi brand, starting with the HS6 hybrid model. Now, more brands are following.

AI race heats up among global automakers

Alibaba is not alone. Audi said its new E7X electric SUV will include AI from ByteDance and iFlyTek. The model is set for presales in May.

Cadillac also showed a new vehicle with voice assistant features linked to ByteDance’s AI tools.

The fight for buyers is no longer just about electric cars but about who builds the smartest car.

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