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Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

insideevs.com

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Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#531

Post by rustcleaner »

bzzzt wrote: post #507
kylehotchkiss wrote: post #48

Remove the LTE chip and all functionality related to ads, support wireless CarPlay and android auto, and use physical buttons. You’ll win every award in the industry.

Don't know about the rest of the world, but the EU requires e-call (automatic emergency call after an accident) for all new cars now so you can't sell cars without an LTE chip.

... but you can be a bro and make sure that hardware is close to the surface somewhere for easy access, its presence isn't required to start and operate the car (either firmware check or the immobilizer performing metrics), and its removal does not cause an obvious and annoying alert during operation (IE removal should not make the car appear to be in a 'degraded' state per its indicators).

You are complying by installing it, the customers are the ones [easily] removing it [because you were a bro].

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#532

Post by nottorp »

I would like a list of those companies making "software defined" vehicles so I can avoid them.

Not because of the shit infotainment systems - although the idiots could save money by just doing carplay and android auto, they'll never do something better.

But because I want physical only failsafes for stuff like brakes and cutting off the engine.

Also, use the savings in software to bring physical buttons back.

Besides the life threatening "software" features, don't forget that they could also adjust engine power in software. As in, include 75 hp in the selling price and sell you highway speeds for $999 for a week or $299 per month with a 2 year commitment...

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#533

Post by Peanuts99 »

tashoecraft wrote: post #283
averageRoyalty wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand the concept, but the question I have is why? These companies have huge wallets, and can surely scoop up a smaller automative microcontroller company and bring it in-house? It seems like a problem than enough money could solve quickly, but they've been doing horribly at this for decades now.

How many issues due large companies run into thinking they can just throw money at it? Just look at google and stadia, or amazon and their failed game studio. They have immense money and knowledge and ended up with nothing. Each car has dozens to 100+ ecus, written in different languages, by different teams, different requirements, and different companies. Some are proprietary. Ford can’t just tell Bosch, hey your ab…

At the same time, we've had car companies putting out cars for 20 years with 10s of different modules built by different companies and things have been working just fine. Suddenly it's a problem because apparently everyone needs a giant screen on the dashboard?

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#534

Post by ErigmolCt »

mikepurvis wrote: post #353
acheron9383 wrote: post #199

As someone who works professionally on embedded software devices that update over the internet, car companies are stuck not because they can't get software talent, but because they have no ability to actually build the electronics alongside the software, which is ultimately what constrains embedded software. Without the right hardware, the constraints are just insurmountable, you can not do X feature because board A…

I’m in a loaner 2025 Volvo right now and I’ve honestly been pleasantly surprised with the Android Auto setup. I thought I’d never again use anything other than phone projection, but nope — I can install Google Maps and Spotify and sign into both, and then my profiles and everything are right there including search history, and it’s actually more seamless and integrated than switching between CarPlay and the native/ou…

Having your accounts, preferences, and history follow you into the car without juggling cables or switching UIs is exactly the kind of seamless experience SDVs should be delivering

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#535

Post by Peanuts99 »

seszett wrote: post #517
cornholio wrote: post #494

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Give it five years and it will be guaranteed garbage. Spotify will refuse to run on an unsupported older Android without the latest DRM API, while Google Maps will crash your system randomly, requiring you to disconnect the car battery to jumpstart it again. Volvo will offer you an upgrade of their proprietary device at the low price of $1899. It's puzzling to see this push for general computing on devices that need…

> There is nothing good that can come out of installing Android in your TV, fridge, let alone a - for fuck's sake! - a car. Android Auto is not Android on the car, it's a protocol that allows an Android phone to use the car's system as a display, with limited UI integration.

The version in Volvo and Polestar's is actually Android Automotive, which is it's own Android distribution with it's own version of Maps/Spotify etc. Funnily it even has Android Auto functionality too.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#536

Post by ErigmolCt »

kylehotchkiss wrote: post #48

Remove the LTE chip and all functionality related to ads, support wireless CarPlay and android auto, and use physical buttons. You’ll win every award in the industry.

The industry keeps chasing "connected experiences" and ad monetization while ignoring what most drivers actually want: responsiveness, simplicity, and reliability

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#537

Post by TylerE »

acheron9383 wrote: post #199

As someone who works professionally on embedded software devices that update over the internet, car companies are stuck not because they can't get software talent, but because they have no ability to actually build the electronics alongside the software, which is ultimately what constrains embedded software. Without the right hardware, the constraints are just insurmountable, you can not do X feature because board A…

As much as everyone used to clown on Tesla for it, the vast majority of cars would be better off with an iPad glued to the dash.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#538

Post by omcnoe »

gmueckl wrote: post #457
Sevii wrote: post #434

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple doesn't have different software platforms for low vs high cost phones. Why is a car different? It doesn't even have as much functionality.

I think it's fair to say that the software in a modern car contains lot more functionality than an average smartphone. Drivers just aren't aware of how much is happening in their car each second.

I mean there is just no way that that can be true.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#539

Post by rustcleaner »

hshdhdhj4444 wrote: post #140
ratatoskrt wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...why? Seems pretty sensible to me?

https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/smart-mobili... Can you explain why these protections are not sufficient for privacy? > 112 eCall is not a black box. It does not record constantly the position of the vehicle, it records only a few data to determine the position and direction of the vehicle just before the crash and these data are only transmitted to emergency call centers if there is a serious crash.…

Your privacy should not rely on the government's "trust me bro" and it's like we forgot about China owning SS7 last year lol. No, it is plainly obvious to me that the mandate for eCall and the lack of an owner off switch for it is for nannying and surveillance FULL STOP. No option to opt out must be treated the same as the violations to privacy they are attempting to pre-construct the conditions for.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#540

Post by mschuster91 »

therein wrote: post #136
mschuster91 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Remove the LTE chip You can't, it's required for eCall which is a mandatory feature in Europe. Unfortunately, it's fraught with issues, especially for the very first eCall modules where the hardware supported only 3G (HSPA)... which is being phased out across Europe together with GPRS (1G)/EDGE (2G), leaving these cars without a working eCall system - and no upgraded hardware modules in many cases.

Oops somehow a switch has attached itself to the fuse of the LTE module in my vehicle.

Won't work if the cellular modem is powered directly off the ECU's fuse or is embedded in the ECU itself.
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