Cerence has reaffirmed its partnership with China’s Geely Auto Group. The two companies have announced that Geely’s China Euro Vehicle Technology (CEVT) subsidiary will utilize Cerence’s new Cerence ARK platform to build AI voice assistants for Geely motor vehicles. The AI reference kit was developed specifically for the Chinese market.

The new voice assistant will have embedded and cloud-based capabilities, and is the result of a collaboration between Cerence and Geely’s ECARX team. The ARK platform allows drivers to control entertainment, navigation, and other in-car systems with simple voice commands, and supports speech recognition, natural language understanding, and text to speech functionality in multiple different languages.

The technology will be featured in multiple Geely brands as the company tries to expand its international presence. To that end, Geely has worked with Volvo to create a standardized Compact Modular Architecture, and will deploy the new assistant in some of the first cars manufactured with the platform.

“This is an important time for Geely as we look to bring Geely and ECARX innovation to markets outside of China,” said ECARX CEO and Geely Research Institute VP Shen Zi Yu. “To support this mission, a localized in-car experience is critical. Cerence’s deep understanding of voice in the car makes them a key long-term partner as we continue to innovate.”

“We are proud that Geely has chosen Cerence to deliver a conversational in-car experience as it deploys the Compact Modular Architecture and expands its presence worldwide,” added Cerence China Region President Charles Kuai.

Geely previously integrated a Nuance user interface into its GKUI infotainment system, though that was prior to Cerence’s split from its former company. The latest news confirms that Geely is one of the many car manufacturers that has maintained its ties with Cerence since it became an independent entity. Mercedes-Benz has also renewed its commitment to Cerence.