Augustin Friedel 🚲 🛴 🛵 🚘’s Post

Big tech landscape for automotive. thanks Augustin Friedel 🚲 🛴 🛵 🚘 for compiling and sharing!

It's been 7 years since Google launched #AndroidAutomotive, but you wouldn't know it... It's still a mess -- like #Android phones in 2012 :) But there's hope, thanks to Rivian, Polestar, and Volvo Cars, doing good work! Read my story on TechRadar.

The Long and Painful Misstep of GM: Disconnecting from the Future of In-Car Connectivity In 2023, GM made the bold yet misguided decision to cut support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of its own infotainment system developed with Google. This move, driven by a desire to control user experience and tap into new revenue streams, highlighted GM’s fundamental misunderstanding of the powerful network effects that drive modern consumer technology. As other automakers recognized the importance of seamless smartphone integration, GM’s decision not only alienated tech-savvy drivers but also risked making their vehicles less appealing in an increasingly connected world. This decision underscores the importance of aligning business strategies with consumer expectations in the era of digital connectivity. #AutoIndustry #TechIntegration #CarPlay #GM #Innovation #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation https://lnkd.in/eWdNPQCE

Apple ditched the Apple Car to concentrate on Apple Vision Pro! After a decade-long endeavor, Apple Inc. has officially abandoned its pursuit of building an electric self-driving car. Instead of focusing on hardware, the company is redirecting its efforts towards software-related innovations, including generative AI and mixed-reality headsets, like the world-famous Apple Vision Pro. The decision to shelve the Project Titan, an electric car initiative, comes as the automotive industry undergoes a fundamental shift. Vehicles are evolving from mechanically intricate machines to software-driven entities, with software now playing a pivotal role in their operation. This shift has positioned software at the heart of the vehicle, managing crucial functions such as battery management and electric systems. Apple's strategic move aligns with the market trend, where the integration of smartphone platforms like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has become a top priority for car manufacturers. In fact, almost all new cars in the US support these integration platforms, emphasizing the growing significance of software in the automotive landscape. Apple's CarPlay, introduced in 2014, aims to seamlessly connect iPhones to a car's infotainment system, offering a user-friendly interface for maps, driving information, and smartphone app integration. Moreover, Apple's control over the driver's data through CarPlay enhances user loyalty and provides the company with valuable insights. Looking ahead, the future iteration of CarPlay promises greater integration and control over various vehicle functions, potentially extending to telematics and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to enhance performance and safety. The rising demand for connectivity and in-car digital offerings, particularly among electric vehicle (EV) buyers, underscores the increasing importance of software in shaping the future mobility experience. As the industry embraces this evolution, legacy automakers are also recognizing the pivotal role of software. Companies like Volkswagen AG and Honda Motor are intensifying their software talent acquisition to address the growing importance of software engineering in the automotive sector. In conclusion, Apple's decision to shift from car production to software innovation reflects the changing dynamics of the automotive industry. With software taking center stage in vehicle development, the future of mobility is set to be shaped by seamless digital integrations and connectivity solutions, underscoring the importance of software proficiency in the automotive ecosystem. What do you think about this change in strategy by Apple? Let us know in the comments section! #applecar #applevisionpro #applecarplay #ecell #iitbombay

The battle for the customer experience continues within Auto as "Thirty percent of global electric vehicle buyers and 35 percent of global internal combustion engine car buyers said a lack of support for smartphone integration is a deal-breaker. That figure may have big implications for General Motors, which said in December it is phasing out such integrations in future EVs. In the U.S., consumers are similarly rigid — 25 percent of EV buyers and 38 percent of gasoline-powered vehicle buyers would not purchase cars without smartphone mirroring." Where will this trend go in upcoming years as OEM's become more advanced with their own platforms?

This is an interesting article that dives into the challenges and potential of Android Automotive in EVs, especially as it competes with phone projection systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Typically, in most modern cars, you either rely on phone projection or the car’s native infotainment software. However, EVs require more precise data for route planning—like battery capacity, state of charge, and energy consumption—data that mobile apps don’t typically access. That’s why native infotainment systems are so important for EVs, as they’re better positioned to handle the unique needs of electric vehicle owners. While Tesla and Rivian are setting the benchmark with seamless, integrated systems that enhance route planning and user experience, other manufacturers are struggling to keep up, which is where Google’s Android Automotive OS (AAOS) steps in. Google launched AAOS to provide a unified platform for automotive infotainment, available in two versions: one without Google services and one with Google built-in, including Google Automotive Services (GAS). The latter promises a familiar, Google-rich experience with apps and services we know from mobile devices. However, implementation across brands is inconsistent, with some automakers succeeding (Polestar, Volvo) and others encountering significant issues (General Motors, Honda). It’s clear that Android Automotive with Google built-in has massive potential, but it’s also a work in progress. The article makes a strong case for why native infotainment solutions, rather than phone projection systems, will ultimately become the standard for EVs, provided that manufacturers and Google can address the current shortcomings. #EV #AndroidAutomotive #ElectricVehicles https://lnkd.in/gm8ENbNS

Name the most disappointing #infotainment system currently in the market?  We have taken on many projects due to failures, oversights, and underwhelming performances of infotainment systems, so I know very well that many systems are not satisfying end user expectations.  Expectations and needs can vary from user to user, but there are some key elements that need to addresses in every system, but often have been neglected in favor of shortcuts and profit margins: *Seamless Smartphone Integration* Connecting your personal device with ease and creating an extension of your personal experience with your smartphone is essential. A barrier to this is an instant turn-off to a user. *Intuitive User Interface* It doesn't matter if you are commercial or a regular driver an interface that is instantly understood and creates minimal distractions is critical both to experience and safety.  *Advanced Voice Control* What once seemed highly futuristic, voice control is now part of our everyday life. With todays need of making calls, sending messages, controlling media playback, and adjusting vehicle settings on the go, a voice control system that works seamlessly is a must. *Integrated Navigation* Our ability to read maps seems to have been lost, therefore providing a built-in GPS navigation for real-time traffic updates and turn-by-turn directions, is without doubt a none negotiable feature for users.  What are the most important elements of a infotainment system and what are the worst systems you have ever experienced? #ElectricVehicles #AutonomousDriving #Automotive #SoftwareDefinedVehicles

Apple doubles down efforts on its 'CarPlay' solution to break into the automotive industry, after Project Titan was cancelled last month. Apple's CarPlay connects an iPhone to a car's infotainment system and represent's the companies last hope of breaking into the market. CarPlay is set to launch this year, however, only Porsche AG & Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd have expressed formal support. Could this be the catalyst for Apple's domination in the auto market or is it simply a failed dream? Interested in hearing more about the challenges of the automotive industry? Get for tickets for MOVE NOW: https://lnkd.in/dAgRZNyA MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined #apple #applecar #automotive #automotiveindustry https://lnkd.in/efYKCTRH

The 2025 outlook by Benedict Evans got me thinking 💡: With the rise of electric vehicles, what if the automotive industry would turn into “software first” similar to what happened to the mobile phone industry with the introduction of the iPhone? It’s easy to draw similarities between the two: Tesla is like Apple, pioneering an entire market. Meanwhile, existing OEMs struggle to switch their business model and put software at the center of it. One example: Volkswagen sank $12 billion into its software unit CARIAD, and with this not working invested $5 billion into Rivian instead. Remember Microsoft and the 📞 Windows Phone, buying Nokia for $7 billion as a last ditch effort to save Windows Mobile? So who’s Android in this thought exercise? My take would be Xiaomi Technology. The Chinese OEMs are flooding the market with cheap EVs, many struggling to break even. Xiaomi has shown that their software can run a car by building their own SU7 EV. As a top 3 mobile player in 🇨🇳 China and 🇮🇳 India, which make up 35% of the world population and the fastest growing car markets, OEMs can immediately connect to their customer base. While BYD might be large enough to build their own software, I bet the smaller players would be happy to take a working software. And Xiaomi could build an app store where drivers could download Karaoke apps, charging apps, entertainment apps, even autonomous driving apps from WeRide, Nuro et al. Link to Ben Evans’ presentation in the first comment. Image: Ben Evans, AI eats the world, page 85.