• “Are we there yet?” may become “are we there already?” with new AppLink partner Beva, which keeps kids entertained on the road with songs, stories and academic lessons
• Zuimei app will provide weather forecasts and pollution readings  
• Dida app helps drivers save money by enabling carpool opportunities with passengers headed in the same direction

Enhancing the driving experience for car owners, Ford continues to expand its portfolio of  AppLink partners with the addition of Beva, Zuimei and Dida – three new apps that provide entertainment, weather alerts and carpooling opportunities.

SYNC, Ford’s intuitive connectivity and infotainment system, allows customers to use voice commands or touchscreen to make calls, play music, adjust temperature controls and get useful information about their vehicle. Ford AppLink allows drivers to control compatible smartphone apps using their voice or the in-vehicle touchscreen. Developers can easily make their smartphone apps compatible with SYNC by downloading and integrating the Ford AppLink software from the Ford Developer Program website.

Need some tips to keep kids occupied in the car? The Ford AppLink system has a new app for that. Beva, one of China’s most-recognized providers of original content for children, can now be accessed via Ford AppLink to provide an extensive suite of children’s songs, stories and educational lessons to keep children entertained during the car ride. For parents wanting to make the commute more educational, Ford partnered with Beva to compile albums covering a diverse selection of topics including English language, math, social studies, art and music.

How’s the weather today? Zuimei, one of China’s most popular weather apps with 16 million daily active users, can now provide Ford AppLink users with all the weather info they need. Zuimei’s five-day weather forecast, PM 2.5 pollution reading and car wash index are among the useful tools at drivers’ disposal to help decide on how to prepare for the day.

Saving some money out of your commute through carpooling? The Dida app makes it easy for drivers to carpool on their way to their destination. Through Ford AppLink, drivers can access the app’s easy-to-use navigation system to locate passengers who requested rides and also place phone calls to them via voice command while in the vehicle. The opportunity to carpool, help alleviate congestion and share fuel costs along the way make this app a particularly useful one to deploy while navigating China’s busy roads.

“Ford AppLink enables drivers to be entertained and productive while on the road through seamless access to useful apps on the go,” said Julius Marchwicki, Ford director, Connected Vehicle Services, Asia Pacific. “The inclusion of Beva, Zuimei and Dida as Ford AppLink partners helps offer drivers practical benefits like educational lessons for kids, helpful pollution readings and even a chance to save some money by carpooling. All this add up to giving drivers more ways to maximize what they can achieve during their car ride.”

To date, Ford’s portfolio of AppLink partners in China includes 15 popular apps that span the spectrum of entertainment, news and transportation services. These include Umetrip, QQ Music, Dingding Parking, CNR Radio and Ximalaya.