White cars, cheaper insurance: how AI is changing automotive services in China

South China Morning Post · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Owning a white vehicle in China may mean lower car insurance premiums because it is less likely to get in an accident, according to an executive from SunCar Technology Group, which uses artificial intelligence from ByteDance to personalise services.“This is what we found based on our massive data,” said SunCar chief strategy officer Breaux Walker in an interview with the South China Morning Post.Other factors also affect premiums, including car usage, commuting routes and driving habits. “Making turns at more dangerous intersections will translate into a higher quotation,” Walker said.Location also matters. “If a Tesla owner lives right next to a Tesla repair shop, the quote for that person is going to be lower than someone who lives in the next province,” he said.Shanghai-based SunCar, founded in 2007, develops digital solutions for auto insurance and maintenance, connecting drivers with a wide range of aftermarket services and coverage options. It has been using AI to innovate its offerings.In October, the company announced a collaboration with ByteDance’s enterprise technology service arm Volcano Engine. Under the deal, SunCar integrated ByteDance’s Doubao AI model into its core services.