Dolby Expands Automotive Partnerships at Auto China 2026

Dolby Laboratories announced on April 24, 2026, a significant expansion of its automotive footprint at Auto China 2026, held in Beijing. The event saw a range of automakers, from established partners to first-time adopters, unveil new vehicle models equipped with Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, or a combination of both technologies.

Among the notable debuts, BMW announced the integration of Dolby Atmos into the new BMW 7 Series and the new BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase, marking the beginning of a broader rollout across its vehicle portfolio. Lexus also introduced its first Dolby Atmos-enabled model with the new ES sedan.

Several other automakers demonstrated or announced Dolby-equipped vehicles at the expo. Li Auto showcased Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos across its L Series, i Series, and MEGA models. NIO demonstrated the ES9 with both technologies and also debuted Dynamic Video Enhancement powered by Dolby, described as a real-time upgrade for standard dynamic range video content. ONVO became the first automotive brand to introduce the Dolby Experience app into its car cabins. Other brands including Cadillac, Volvo, Porsche, ZEEKR, Volkswagen, Hongqi, Dongfeng Nissan, Beijing Hyundai, and Great Wall Motors also featured Dolby Atmos across new or existing models.

Dolby also highlighted the availability of Dolby Atmos via Apple CarPlay in vehicles from Xiaomi, Lotus, BMW, and Hyundai, enabling spatial audio streaming directly through supported services.

On the content side, Dolby presented an in-car entertainment ecosystem spanning music platforms such as QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music, video platforms iQIYI and Tencent Video, audiobook service Ximalaya, and user-generated content platform bilibili.

A consumer study conducted by Counterpoint in April 2026, based on interviews and surveys among 1,200 car owners in China, found that three in four respondents associate advanced in-car entertainment with a premium vehicle experience, and eight in ten prospective buyers said they would pay more for a vehicle offering combined Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities.