LeEco, a top Chinese smartphone and smart TV developer, announced they will be releasing an automated, smartphone-controlled car called LeSEE.
LeEco, previously known as LeTV, is mostly known for smartphones and televisions. The LeSEE proves LeEco is not limited to these platforms, as the car is a sleek, self-driving and self-parking electric vehicle that is able to take commands from a smartphone app.
“This is a big dream that we all share. We’re not simply building an electric vehicle that’s smart,” Ding Lei, co-founder and global vice chairman of LeEco said, “Instead, we are building a new mobility for the future.”
LeEco intends for LeSEE to be part of a mobility ecosystem that incorporates some of their other technology, especially their “super” phones.
“The ecosystem can recognize the status and skills of the driver to help the driver to drive steadily,” Ding Lei said. “For example, if the driver is a young female, and if she’s a bit nervous, it can help her find the way. Please don’t get us wrong, this is just to differentiate various types of customers to help them drive safely.”
This technological ecosystem is chiefly present in the cars frontal smart screen, which can display some of the car’s information, as well as assess and adapt to the user’s ability.
“The front of the car is a smart screen that can show the specific data of the car when the car is running,” Ding Lei said.
LeEco envisions its future vehicles to one day be used as self-driving taxis, with the headlights using various colours to indicate their availability.
The LeSEE is a sleek, Tron-esque electric vehicle that looks unique from anything else on the market. The car’s bumper is one massive headlight behind the emblem, while the hood of the car looks to be almost entirely glass.
“It’s like a flowing sculpture,” Ding Lei said while describing the LeSEE.
One of the biggest features of the LeSEE is the ability to drive and park itself. The interior of the car seems to be as spectacular as the exterior, with passenger touchscreens, self-molding seats and isolated sound systems for each passenger.
“Autonomous driving is also technology we want to incorporate in the car,” Ding Lei said. “When you enter automated driving mode, the steering view can be folded. We also provide isolated area for each passenger in the car, so that when one passenger is listening to a piece of music he will not be affected by other passengers sitting next to him.”
LeEco CEO Jia Yueting demonstrated some of LeSEE’s early abilities live by telling his smartphone to bring the LeSEE “back to its parking lot”- and upon doing so, the sleek vehicle drove itself onto stage and slowly reversed in front of Jia Yueting. The LeSEE flawlessly parked parallel to the audience – and I have to say, the car is way better at parking than I am.
“When I see it for the first time today, when it drives directly to me, when it backs into its parking lot by itself, when the attention of the world is focused on our LeSEE, I can no longer hold my emotions back,” Jia Yueting said, on the verge of tears.
The LeSEE will make its official debut on April 24 at the Beijing Auto Show. The car has some unbelievable features, and hopefully LeEco will be ready to demonstrate some of LeSEE’s abilities during the presentation.
