BYD has announced a strategic partnership with Chinese smartphone maker Honor to integrate their AI voice assistants, a move that deepens the connection between vehicles and mobile devices. The agreement, signed in Shenzhen in October 2025, uses an A2A (Agent-to-Agent) protocol to let the two systems collaborate directly, according to Gasgoo, a Chinese automotive news outlet.
Unlike previous phone-to-car connectivity features, this collaboration allows the AI agents on both ends to work together without the car's infotainment system needing to pre-adapt to specific phone apps. Users no longer have to manually transfer tasks between devices. The first batch of use cases includes remote car control via Honor's YOYO assistant—such as voice-activated car locating and pre-conditioning—and a mirrored phone desktop that brings all apps into the car.
From NFC keys to AI agents
The partnership between BYD and Honor began in 2023 with NFC car keys, expanded to in-car fast charging in 2024, and has now evolved into a strategic agreement focusing on cross-device ecosystem integration and AI agent fusion. The progression shows a shift from single-point feature integration to system-level AI orchestration.
The features are available on BYD's DiLink 100 and higher smart cockpit platforms, covering more than 100 BYD models. This means a wide range of BYD vehicles, from entry-level to flagship, can potentially access the enhanced voice and app capabilities.
The technical essence of the deal is that the AI agents on the car and phone can directly invoke each other's functions. For example, a user could ask YOYO on their phone to prepare the car, and the assistant would communicate with the car's system to execute the command, without the need for the car to have a dedicated app installed.
This collaboration is part of a broader trend in China's EV industry, where automakers are increasingly partnering with tech companies to enhance in-car software and AI features. BYD, the world's largest seller of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), has been expanding its software ecosystem to compete with rivals like Nio and Xpeng, which also offer advanced voice assistants and smart cockpit features.
For Honor, the partnership provides a way to extend its AI capabilities beyond smartphones and into the automotive space, potentially increasing the stickiness of its devices for users who own BYD cars. The companies have not disclosed financial terms or a timeline for rolling out the features to all compatible models.
