Overview

• New documents on Tesla’s website confirm plans to deploy DeepSeek and ByteDance’s Doubao in China-market vehicles beginning with the Model YL.
• DeepSeek will act as the in‑car conversational assistant, while Doubao will manage vehicle features and respond to a new “Hey, Tesla” wake word.
• Both AI models will be hosted through ByteDance’s Volcano Engine cloud service.
• Unlike in the United States, where Grok cannot access vehicle systems, the China setup grants AI access to vehicle functions.
• Tesla and ByteDance have not commented on rollout details, as coverage notes the strategy follows recent softness in Tesla’s China deliveries.