Chinese automaker BYD is shifting its overseas cloud infrastructure away from Amazon Web Services (AWS) to Google Cloud and Alibaba Cloud, according to a February 17 report by Chinese media outlet Leiphone.

The decision comes just months after AWS announced a partnership with BYD in December 2023, highlighting plans to support the company’s connected vehicle initiatives and global expansion. AWS had touted its scalable, reliable, and secure infrastructure as a key enabler for BYD’s in-car navigation, entertainment services, and other applications through Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) and Amazon CloudFront.

BYD was a significant customer in AWS’s China automotive sector, reportedly spending over $10 million annually on AWS services. Industry sources suggest that the migration may be linked to recent leadership changes within AWS China.

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Previously, under the leadership of Elaine Chang, AWS China had a structured sales team, with Li Xiaomang driving revenue and overseeing approximately 80% of the business. Li managed four regional leaders: Tian Feng (North), Ji Jun (East), Yu Daomin (South), and Ye Yongjun (West), with BYD falling under the South region’s jurisdiction.

However, in October 2023, AWS appointed Chu Ruisong as its new head for China, prompting a restructuring of the sales organization. Li Xiaomang transitioned to an ecosystem business role, and the four regional heads gradually exited AWS. Notably, Yu Daomin, who managed BYD’s region, left AWS in early 2024 to join Google Cloud, overseeing its Yunnan operations. Meanwhile, Ye Yongjun moved to Alibaba Cloud in late 2024, and Ji Jun, after an internal transfer to handle automotive clients, eventually departed AWS for undisclosed reasons.

The shift in cloud providers marks a significant change in BYD’s cloud strategy and highlights the increasing competition among global cloud service providers for major automotive clients.