Intelligence

On Sept. 15, Arm announced a new direction in its IP and technology portfolio to address the transformation of the automotive industry whose center of gravity is rapidly moving toward software, rather than hardware, components.

It appears evident that open-software platforms are of strategic import for the new mobility era. This role is evident not only from different bodies and companies investing in them, but also the effect on regional interests that are characterizing the automotive industry lately, with counterposing economic powers trying to dominate.

Developers and investors are pumping billions of dollars into lidar technology for the chance to score big in this nascent market.  Early adopters getting a jump on the competition with partnerships and production.

The longtime CEO of the U.S.’s largest charging network says many OEMs are content to follow Tesla’s lead and talk at length about fast-charging, ignoring the convenience of Level 2 charging.

Across the automotive supply chain, software-defined vehicles appear to be following a clear path to future-proof architectures. Software architectures and standardized software platforms are fundamental to simplifying vehicle functional complexity while keeping up with the pace of technology and innovation, spanning from vehicle’s implementation to the back end and infrastructure digitalization.

Developers and investors are pumping billions of dollars into lidar technology for the chance to score big in this nascent market.  Early adopters getting a jump on the competition with partnerships and production.

At the recent International Mobility Show (IAA 2021) in Munich, Germany, Renault was quite vocal about its Renault Mégane E-Tech, which has adopted Android Automotive as the entire OS for the cockpit and head unit and is powered by “omni-present” Qualcomm SoCs. Just two week later, Honda announced as well to deploy Android Automotive in an “all-new” vehicle that will be launched along 2022, piling up to the list of adopters after Polestar, Volvo, and Renault. The following is a summary of my observations and a synthesis of the feedback I received.

The agency expects to allocate about $6 billion – to be matched by industry – to developing infrastructure, from mining and processing core battery components to recycling.

Billions of dollars of investment and development are paying off as major robotaxi companies plan to launch commercial ride-hailing services over the next three years.

Global automotive supplier and aluminum architectures specialist Dura is dipping its toes into BEVs by helping to design and assemble battery trays for some Mercedes EQ models, but it doesn’t plan to stop there.

General Motors has big BEV plans, aiming for 1 million sales globally by 2025. Tim Grewe is one of the execs leading the charge, and looking for ways to create stronger, lighter pack designs.

Zoox CFO Ilan Hart and Bruce Baumgartner, Vice President of Procurement & Strategic Partnerships, discuss their company, their technology and the future of personal transportation in urban areas.

Next-generation E/E architectures will create new business models for automakers and suppliers. But a Wards Intelligence survey shows few see themselves as pacesetters, and there’s some uncertainty about where the best monetization opportunities are. The massive change in operations, and the associated costs, will put constraints on the timeframe and depth of the changes in infrastructure and vehicle architectures that OEMs will be able to address.