Open software platform
Car companies want to counter tech giants in software
The large German car manufacturers have been planning a cooperation in the field of vehicle software for some time. The cooperation should now take concrete forms.
Leading companies in the automotive industry would like to counter the advance of Tech groups such as Google in automotive production. At the 29th International Automobile Electronics Congress (AEK), eleven companies signed a declaration of intent to jointly develop and use open software for future vehicle generations. The signatories of the “Memorandum of Understanding” include car manufacturers such as BMW and Porsche as well as leading suppliers such as Bosch, Continental and ZF Friedrichshafen.
Software under the hood does not make any tangible difference
Marcus Bollig, Managing Director of the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), pointed out that a considerable scope of the vehicle software cannot be experienced directly for the user and thus does not contribute to distinguishing the different brands and vehicle types. “This fact allows the corresponding software modules to develop together in an open and collaborative ecosystem.”
The VDA had brought the first signers to a table. Companies outside the VDA should also be able to participate in the open source platform, including players from Europe, China, the USA and other automotive nations.
Ambitious schedule
The initiative’s schedule stipulates that the software size for the series development of a platform for autonomous driving is already available in 2026. The modular software size can be adjusted or supplemented and then provided to industry for series development.
“In this way, manufacturers and suppliers can concentrate on differentiating functions, while basic components are cultivated together,” said the VDA. This creates a strong foundation for innovation – and freedom to focus on what makes the difference for the customer.
The transition to “software defined Vehicle”, the vehicle defined by programs, in particular presents the German automotive industry with great challenges. So the Volkswagen Group had difficulty managing this change.
At the same time, corporations like Google push into the automotive market. The internet giant from the USA works with car manufacturers such as Volvo, Renault, Ford, General Motors and Mitsubishi to integrate its Android Automotive OS (AAOS) car operating system and the Google Automotive Services (Gas) in series vehicles. These services include applications such as Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Play Store.
dpa
Source: Stern
