- Google announces an updated version of Android Automotive OS
- The tech giant hopes that the software can take care of the car’s essential functions
- Cars could end up needing more than 300GB of RAM, Micron says
Google recently announced an updated version of its open source Android Automotive operating system for cars, which it hopes will see the software take care of today’s “non-safety” components and the Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) of tomorrow.
In recent years, both passenger cars and commercial vehicles have become more sophisticated. With the advent of electric vehicles and their simplified powertrain architecture, automakers have turned to computing power to control the vehicle and provide advanced infotainment systems.
Often described as Software Defined Vehicles, this phrase loosely applies to anything that can be updated, improved, tested and repaired remotely, using a data connection inside the vehicle to connect to The Cloud.
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In a blog post written by Google’s group product manager, Matt Crowley explains that modern cars are quickly becoming “computers on wheels”.
“From starting your car in the morning to using your smartphone as a car key, many functions in today’s cars are controlled by software,” he wrote.
But modern car manufacturers also face many obstacles, especially since most of them have limited experience in coding and software, so they have had to create a complete division dedicated to the rapidly evolving technology.
Second, Crowley says most car manufacturers integrate software modules from many different suppliers.
“This chaotic approach means that car manufacturers must spend time building infrastructure rather than what separates them from the fast-moving market,” he said.
As you may have already guessed, Google and Android want to make this easier by releasing the Android Automotive OS for Software Defined Vehicles (AAOS SDV), which they say provides an open infrastructure for “non-safety” parts of the car.
This will include things like next-generation AI voice assistants, climate control and cabin ambience, navigation updates and infotainment services.
Like Apple with its Apple CarPlay Ultra system, Google and Android want more drivers to use Android Automotive for in-car information, while convincing automakers that letting a major software company take care of tricky parts will simplify their development processes.
But like Apple CarPlay Ultra, Google may also find that there is pushback from both customers and automakers who don’t want Google to manage the inevitable amount of driver data that flows into its systems.
Analysis: Disadvantages of “computer on wheels”
Like it or not, the software-defined automotive revolution is in full swing and, as automakers look to software to unlock new revenue streams, the cars of the future will be even more complex.
In a recent report by The Register, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said that cars will eventually need more than 300GB of RAM to run, as automakers continue to push for higher levels of autonomous driving performance.
Currently, a modern Tesla has between 8 and 16GB of RAM, depending on its age, which is about the same or twice that of today’s Apple iPhone.
To achieve a level of autonomy that allows drivers to safely and legally take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, Mehrotra believes automakers will need to introduce nearly 20 times that amount, bringing a car more in line with the consumer’s high-end desktop.
Not only will this significantly increase the price of future cars, it could also cause a shortage of memory chips, as the industry struggles to cope with demand from competing automakers all scrambling to bring the latest self-driving technology to market.
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