Renault has announced a partnership with Google to develop what they call the “Software Defined Vehicle”.
The technology will be built on the existing Android Automotive Operating System and Google Cloud technology collaboration and will allow for new on-demand services and continuous upgrades to be delivered to the car.
This will allow for an easier and continuous integration of new services into the vehicle and the creation of new onboard (In-Car Services) and offboard applications.
“The complexity of the electronic architecture of cars is increasing exponentially, driven by the sophistication of the functionalities and services expected by customers,” said Luca de Meo, Renault Group CEO. “Equipped with a shared IT platform, continuous over-the-air updates, and streamlined access to car data, the SDV approach developed in partnership with Google will transform our vehicles to help serve future customers’ needs. This will increase residual value and after-sales retention, which are two key drivers of our financial performance, and help Renault to roll out our portfolio of new services. Finally, our strategic partnership with Google will allow us to accelerate our end-to-end digital transformation, from the design of the car to its market launch through its production, and ultimately to bring added value to our customers. With Google, we are going beyond mere cooperation: a software champion and a mobility champion are joining forces to create game-changing technologies.”
This collaboration will enable Renault Group to reduce costs, improve efficiency, flexibility, and speed of vehicle developments, and increase value for end-users thanks to continuous software innovation.
Renault Group will expand its use of Google Cloud technology for the SDV to better manage data capture and analytics, securely and confidentially, as well as software development for the vehicle. This supports first use cases in development, such as:
- Predictive maintenance and better detection and rectification of failures in near real-time if necessary.
- A personalized experience onboard the vehicle (In-Car services) to adapt to driving behaviours, often-used destinations such as EV Charging Stations, etc.
- Insurance models based on actual usage and driving behaviours.
Combined with the “Software Defined Vehicle” Platform and its Car Data Platform, Renault Group plans to monitor and analyze car usage for a better understanding of customers’ needs and behaviours and for better and highly personalized services according to their expectations, in compliance with the security and privacy norms that apply.
By tapping into Google’s software expertise, the company is sidestepping the software issues that have plagued the VW group, which has been developing its own in-house software solution for cars.
