Shanghai (ZXZC)- On May 23, VOYAH, a high-end EV brand of Dongfeng Motor, penned an agreement with China Unicom Smart Connection (CUSC), a fully-owned subsidiary of China Unicom, to jointly build a lab dedicated to automotive big data. 

VOYAH, CUSC signing agreement; photo credit: Dongfeng Motor

Meanwhile, both parties also announced an all-around strategic cooperation on big data. Leveraging China Unicom's plentiful big data resources and VOYAH's industrial experience and innovative scenarios for user experience, they will co-work on digital marketing and smart car-sharing business to offer users customized services.

Dongfeng Motor announced on July 17, 2020 the launch of the premium EV brand VOYAH (in Chinese, "Lantu") with the first concept “iLand” unveiled in the meantime. “VOYAH”, the homophone of “blueprint” in Chinese, is positioned as a premium smart EV brand that aims to completely eliminate range and charge anxiety for drivers.

The iFree, the concept of VOYAH's first production model, made its world's debut in last September. After that, Dongfeng Motor announced the formal name “FREE” for VOYAH's first mass-produced model, whose world's premiere was made in the same month.

Presale of the Free kicked off in March this year and the market launch will start in the third quarter of 2021.

According to Dongfeng Motor, VOYAH will roll out at least one new model per year from 2021 onwards.

As China Unicom’s IoV (Internet of Vehicles)-focused subsidiary, CUSC has been providing intelligence & connectivity services for many brands of Dongfeng, including Dongfeng Citroen, Dongfeng Peugeot, Dongfeng Fengshen, Dongfeng Nissan, Venucia, and Dongfeng Sokon.