Software company Elektrobit and contract production Upstart Foxconn have signed a joint agreement to develop a platform for software -defined electric vehicles, the companies said in a statement 25 June.
The partnership amounts to a significant disruption of the supply chain for manufacturers who have wanted Silos, developing software-defined vehicle platforms that can receive new functionality in the air and that are open to possibilities of a wide network of developers.
Now two companies work with track records in software development and contract production, less burdened by the complexity of Legacy Supply Chains, together. The move could create agile competition for traditional car manufacturers after years of development in -house.
The platform is called EV.OS and will contain hardware and software. The companies said in the press release that they want “to reduce complexity, the total costs of ownership, scale production and accelerate the commoditization of the mobility industry for the consumer’s benefit.”
“Our collaboration with Foxconn is another milestone in the evolution of software-defined vehicles,” said Maria Anhalt, CEO of Elektrobit, in a statement. “By combining the expertise of Elekrobit’s auto software with the production and hardware innovation of FoxConn, we create a scalable platform that reduces complexity, shorten the development cycles and support future business models for mobility.”
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Elektrobit, a subsidiary of Continental, has created popular software products based on an interoperable standard industry stand. The company is a leader in the integration of Linux, a free and open-source operating system, in automotive systems, which creates the possibility of a broader development community.
Foxconn, the manufacturer of the iPhone, has made fast and disruptive access to the car industry as a contract manufacturer. It is bound to car manufacturers, including Geely Holding Group, Fisker and Lordstown Motors. In May the company signed its first global manufacturer agreement to make EVs for Mitsubishi. At the time, the company confirmed that the other global brands of courte.
Although Tesla has led the way to software-defined vehicles with its over-the-air updates, real SDVs still have to come on the market. Stakeholders in the industry propose a world in which drivers can choose from an abundance of new vehicle options from a marketplace full of offers that go beyond those of the original automaker. Underlying hardware will be flexible, able to accommodate functionalities that still have to be understood.
The progress of the industry in the direction of SDVs has been slower than expected. Many car manufacturers have tried to completely bring their software development to their own home. This provided them in the minutiae of basic layers of the software pivot, an expensive and time-consuming process that also required complex accounting of hardware inefficiencies and a retool of vehicle architecture.
In recent years, stakeholders have recognized the need for more cooperation, but car manufacturers have been slow to become a member of competitors.
Remarkable exceptions include a joint venture between Rivian and Volkswagen and a between Volvo Group and Daimler Truck.
“It is important here to understand that working with a competitor to be competitive,” said Lars Stenqvist, Chief Technology Officer of Volvo Group, in January.
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