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Why Software Defined Vehicles are the Future of the Mobility Sector

by  Nick Goodnight     Jul 12, 2024
software-defined-vehicle

A Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) is a concept where the core functionalities and features of a vehicle are primarily controlled and enhanced through software rather than through traditional hardware engineering. This approach enables cars to be more adaptable, customizable, and able to receive updates over their lifespan, like software updates which improve smartphones. Vehicles are becoming more of an extension of your virtual world through the inclusion of many lifestyles features that the consumer has come to expect from the products they desire. From planning a trip to scheduling a repair appointment at the local dealership, the age of the vehicle taking “care of itself” is upon us. With this increased integration, it is minimizing the required owner input which fits better into the life of the new generation. OEMs have been pushing this type of technology to help increase the longevity of their vehicles that continue to increase in cost. Meeting the needs of the new customer is dragging this technology to the forefront of the new vehicle world. The technician must be aware of the situation so when it comes time to repair this technology, they have the knowledge necessary to quickly and effectively put the vehicle back into service.  

Centralized Computing Architecture 

SDVs typically use a more centralized computing platform which allows for easier updates and integration with new technologies. Zonal networking is becoming a larger component of the automotive infrastructure. The way zonal networking operates is it puts a module near each of the vehicle's corners and then directs all that corner's features to that module. The module is also on the network to the central processor, which controls the outer modules to provide the same capability with less wiring. This networking idea promotes software control over hardware requirements. This ability allows continuous updating to fix programming issues throughout the vehicle's life cycle. This calibration or software update minimizes the trips of the vehicle to the dealership and eliminates the technician from having to update the vehicle manually. Increasing the ability to fix problems without inconveniencing the owner increases the satisfaction of the owner while increasing the profitability of the OEM.  

Updating the vehicle in real time is known as Over-the-Air (OTA) updates. These OTA updates are like something that your phone or PC conducts over its lifecycle. Fixing bugs and errors and unlocking more features provides a value add for a lot of owners which will increasingly draw them to the brand. These features also provide a new revenue stream to the OEM aftersales division. Increasing the ability of the OEM to continually generate new revenue provides the incentive to allow the owner to order features a la carte when they desire them. This also opens the ability to sell upgrades when the vehicle is sold as a used vehicle years later. 

The End of the "Buy Once” Model 

On the downside of this technology, the ability to buy your vehicle once and then you own it, is becoming a thing of the past. The vehicle is becoming a mechanism to generate more revenue, control the owner of the vehicle and become more of a test bed for the OEM. Most OEMs conduct research and development (R&D) before a product comes to market. R&D includes operating the vehicle in real world conditions with different configurations to find the best possible options before it goes to market. This testing was done to work out any bugs in the hardware or software prior to getting sold to the general public. Once the vehicle was sold it was then on the owner to bring it back to the dealership to get any updates or software recalibrations needed. In this configuration, the vehicle is sold as a product. If the customer wanted a new feature or options, they would have to buy a new product. This helps to drive the customer to buy the new model year to get more options or a newer suite of software options. 

Transitioning to an SDV allows the owner to unlock new features, like a video game, so if you want to upgrade while owning the vehicle, you can do so without buying a new vehicle. This simplifies vehicle construction as all the mechanical needs of the vehicle are installed on all vehicles, instead of only those that the buyer requested. The physical production of a vehicle requires a lot of input from planning what components each vehicle needs to installing all those mechanical features. When you streamline production of the vehicle, you can automate more of it with robotics and require less people as the production process is easily completed.  

Moving from the mechanical centric to software centric vehicle requires the owner to change the way they approach a vehicle. Right now, we are conditioned to not expect improvements on our vehicles after the initial purchase. In the future, as the SDV becomes more prevalent, the ability of the OEM to continuously improve will become the norm.  

Integration into Life 

With the SDV comes the vehicle's ability to communicate with other vehicles and local infrastructure to increase its safety. People have grown accustomed to having different systems interact, like an iPhone and its ecosystem. The vehicle is becoming no different. As the vehicle interacts with its ecosystem and those systems that it moves into, it can make decisions on how to best operate in that environment. Whether it is allowing your vehicle to access your phones information or setting up an appointment at your local dealership, the vehicle is becoming indispensable. Along with making the driver’s life more connected with the other aspects of their life, the vehicle in the mind of the owner makes it harder to operate without it. 

The next step into integration into the life of the driver is including machine learning (ML) to anticipate the needs of the driver. The increased computing power present on an SDV allows for increased integration of ML and artificial intelligence (AI) making the situation more helpful to the driver (Turing, 2024). From communicating with other vehicles on the roadway to predicting the next move of the driver, the ability of the vehicle to anticipate the next move minimizes the possibility of a collision.  

Total vehicle integration with all vehicle systems increases the applicability of these technologies throughout the automotive world. Increasing the efficiency and decreasing the need for multiple ECMs on the vehicle will be able to increase its abilities to make decisions with less variation of outputs. Increasing the connection with the internet of things (IOT) allows the autonomy of the vehicle to increase which decreases the cumbersomeness of vehicle integration into everyday life. 

Anticipating the needs of the driver before they need it with real time data connectivity increases the rate at which tasks are accomplished in the vehicle. This could be simply setting up dinner reservations to laying out a road trip across the US, the ability of the vehicle to be a versatile participant in the lives of the owner takes care of the mundane tasks that most drivers do not care to complete.  

As the automotive world moves into autonomy, the demand for AI and ML to take care of more tasks on the vehicle increases. Operating a vehicle on the roadway that has constant variable changes used to be so complex that most computers could not complete that equation. Human brain power was the only computer that could solve the situation in real time. The increase in computing power and introduction of advanced AI into the equation is taking some of the load away from the driver and controlling the vehicle independently of the driver’s input. This is a large psychological change for the driver as they must put trust into a machine that will pick the best possible solution. As this becomes normalized, the driver will then expect the machine to continue to evolve, like the way a human evolves, to meet the new needs as they operate it in new environments. This higher level of thinking elevates the driver and the machine to a place in their lives which becomes a more reliable partner. 

Conclusion 

SDVs represent more than just a technological shift; they are redefining the very concept of mobility, making vehicles not only a means of transport but a continuously evolving platform that enhances driving experiences, safety, and sustainability. Changing the options of a vehicle whenever budget or needs change allows the owner to gain more value out of the vehicle. 

The shift towards software-defined vehicles represents a major transformation in automotive design and consumer interaction. It allows vehicles to stay current with the latest technology throughout their operational life and provides a platform for continuous improvement and personalization. Couple this with a skateboard-type of electric vehicle platform, the owner could change the body once they grow tired of the original one, they purchased (Skateboard Platforms, 2024). The ability to adapt to the changing lives of the owners helps to decrease the requirements to create completely new vehicles and helps to minimize waste. After the body changes, the SDV can then just get an update to make the vehicle operate as the new type of vehicle. 

We are moving into an age that values efficiency and integration. These advanced technological solutions help to advance the whole industry, the technicians must be ready to diagnose and repair these technologies as they will inevitability appear in front of them in the repair facility.  

The MAST series from CDX Learning Systems provides the instructor pointed material to exceed the requirements of any ASE training currently on the market. Utilizing the Read-See-Do model throughout the series, the student has various learning modalities present throughout the products which allows them to pick the way they learn the best. From developing simulations on cutting edge topics to providing a depth of automotive technical background, CDX is committed to making sure instructors and students have the relevant training material to further hone their skill sets within the mechanical, electrical and software driven repair industry. CDX Learning Systems offers a growing library of automotive content that brings highly technical content to the classroom to keep you and your students up to date on what is currently happening within the Mobility Industry. Check out the latest addition to the series, Light Duty Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. 

References 

Skateboard platforms. (2024, July 4). E-Mobility Engineering. https://www.emobility-engineering.com/ev-skateboard-platforms/ 

Turing. (2024). Accelerating Development: Machine Learning in Automotive Software. https://www.turing.com/resources/automotive-machine-learning 

About the Author:

Nicholas Goodnight, PhD is an ASE Master Certified Automotive and Truck Technician and an Instructor at Ivy Tech Community College. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, he brings his passion and expertise to teaching college students the workplace skills they need on the job. For the last several years, Dr. Goodnight has taught in his local community of Fort Wayne and enjoys helping others succeed in their desire to become automotive technicians.

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Why Software Defined Vehicles are the Future of the Mobility Sector

by  Nick Goodnight     Jul 12, 2024
software-defined-vehicle

A Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) is a concept where the core functionalities and features of a vehicle are primarily controlled and enhanced through software rather than through traditional hardware engineering. This approach enables cars to be more adaptable, customizable, and able to receive updates over their lifespan, like software updates which improve smartphones. Vehicles are becoming more of an extension of your virtual world through the inclusion of many lifestyles features that the consumer has come to expect from the products they desire. From planning a trip to scheduling a repair appointment at the local dealership, the age of the vehicle taking “care of itself” is upon us. With this increased integration, it is minimizing the required owner input which fits better into the life of the new generation. OEMs have been pushing this type of technology to help increase the longevity of their vehicles that continue to increase in cost. Meeting the needs of the new customer is dragging this technology to the forefront of the new vehicle world. The technician must be aware of the situation so when it comes time to repair this technology, they have the knowledge necessary to quickly and effectively put the vehicle back into service.  

Centralized Computing Architecture 

SDVs typically use a more centralized computing platform which allows for easier updates and integration with new technologies. Zonal networking is becoming a larger component of the automotive infrastructure. The way zonal networking operates is it puts a module near each of the vehicle's corners and then directs all that corner's features to that module. The module is also on the network to the central processor, which controls the outer modules to provide the same capability with less wiring. This networking idea promotes software control over hardware requirements. This ability allows continuous updating to fix programming issues throughout the vehicle's life cycle. This calibration or software update minimizes the trips of the vehicle to the dealership and eliminates the technician from having to update the vehicle manually. Increasing the ability to fix problems without inconveniencing the owner increases the satisfaction of the owner while increasing the profitability of the OEM.  

Updating the vehicle in real time is known as Over-the-Air (OTA) updates. These OTA updates are like something that your phone or PC conducts over its lifecycle. Fixing bugs and errors and unlocking more features provides a value add for a lot of owners which will increasingly draw them to the brand. These features also provide a new revenue stream to the OEM aftersales division. Increasing the ability of the OEM to continually generate new revenue provides the incentive to allow the owner to order features a la carte when they desire them. This also opens the ability to sell upgrades when the vehicle is sold as a used vehicle years later. 

The End of the "Buy Once” Model 

On the downside of this technology, the ability to buy your vehicle once and then you own it, is becoming a thing of the past. The vehicle is becoming a mechanism to generate more revenue, control the owner of the vehicle and become more of a test bed for the OEM. Most OEMs conduct research and development (R&D) before a product comes to market. R&D includes operating the vehicle in real world conditions with different configurations to find the best possible options before it goes to market. This testing was done to work out any bugs in the hardware or software prior to getting sold to the general public. Once the vehicle was sold it was then on the owner to bring it back to the dealership to get any updates or software recalibrations needed. In this configuration, the vehicle is sold as a product. If the customer wanted a new feature or options, they would have to buy a new product. This helps to drive the customer to buy the new model year to get more options or a newer suite of software options. 

Transitioning to an SDV allows the owner to unlock new features, like a video game, so if you want to upgrade while owning the vehicle, you can do so without buying a new vehicle. This simplifies vehicle construction as all the mechanical needs of the vehicle are installed on all vehicles, instead of only those that the buyer requested. The physical production of a vehicle requires a lot of input from planning what components each vehicle needs to installing all those mechanical features. When you streamline production of the vehicle, you can automate more of it with robotics and require less people as the production process is easily completed.  

Moving from the mechanical centric to software centric vehicle requires the owner to change the way they approach a vehicle. Right now, we are conditioned to not expect improvements on our vehicles after the initial purchase. In the future, as the SDV becomes more prevalent, the ability of the OEM to continuously improve will become the norm.  

Integration into Life 

With the SDV comes the vehicle's ability to communicate with other vehicles and local infrastructure to increase its safety. People have grown accustomed to having different systems interact, like an iPhone and its ecosystem. The vehicle is becoming no different. As the vehicle interacts with its ecosystem and those systems that it moves into, it can make decisions on how to best operate in that environment. Whether it is allowing your vehicle to access your phones information or setting up an appointment at your local dealership, the vehicle is becoming indispensable. Along with making the driver’s life more connected with the other aspects of their life, the vehicle in the mind of the owner makes it harder to operate without it. 

The next step into integration into the life of the driver is including machine learning (ML) to anticipate the needs of the driver. The increased computing power present on an SDV allows for increased integration of ML and artificial intelligence (AI) making the situation more helpful to the driver (Turing, 2024). From communicating with other vehicles on the roadway to predicting the next move of the driver, the ability of the vehicle to anticipate the next move minimizes the possibility of a collision.  

Total vehicle integration with all vehicle systems increases the applicability of these technologies throughout the automotive world. Increasing the efficiency and decreasing the need for multiple ECMs on the vehicle will be able to increase its abilities to make decisions with less variation of outputs. Increasing the connection with the internet of things (IOT) allows the autonomy of the vehicle to increase which decreases the cumbersomeness of vehicle integration into everyday life. 

Anticipating the needs of the driver before they need it with real time data connectivity increases the rate at which tasks are accomplished in the vehicle. This could be simply setting up dinner reservations to laying out a road trip across the US, the ability of the vehicle to be a versatile participant in the lives of the owner takes care of the mundane tasks that most drivers do not care to complete.  

As the automotive world moves into autonomy, the demand for AI and ML to take care of more tasks on the vehicle increases. Operating a vehicle on the roadway that has constant variable changes used to be so complex that most computers could not complete that equation. Human brain power was the only computer that could solve the situation in real time. The increase in computing power and introduction of advanced AI into the equation is taking some of the load away from the driver and controlling the vehicle independently of the driver’s input. This is a large psychological change for the driver as they must put trust into a machine that will pick the best possible solution. As this becomes normalized, the driver will then expect the machine to continue to evolve, like the way a human evolves, to meet the new needs as they operate it in new environments. This higher level of thinking elevates the driver and the machine to a place in their lives which becomes a more reliable partner. 

Conclusion 

SDVs represent more than just a technological shift; they are redefining the very concept of mobility, making vehicles not only a means of transport but a continuously evolving platform that enhances driving experiences, safety, and sustainability. Changing the options of a vehicle whenever budget or needs change allows the owner to gain more value out of the vehicle. 

The shift towards software-defined vehicles represents a major transformation in automotive design and consumer interaction. It allows vehicles to stay current with the latest technology throughout their operational life and provides a platform for continuous improvement and personalization. Couple this with a skateboard-type of electric vehicle platform, the owner could change the body once they grow tired of the original one, they purchased (Skateboard Platforms, 2024). The ability to adapt to the changing lives of the owners helps to decrease the requirements to create completely new vehicles and helps to minimize waste. After the body changes, the SDV can then just get an update to make the vehicle operate as the new type of vehicle. 

We are moving into an age that values efficiency and integration. These advanced technological solutions help to advance the whole industry, the technicians must be ready to diagnose and repair these technologies as they will inevitability appear in front of them in the repair facility.  

The MAST series from CDX Learning Systems provides the instructor pointed material to exceed the requirements of any ASE training currently on the market. Utilizing the Read-See-Do model throughout the series, the student has various learning modalities present throughout the products which allows them to pick the way they learn the best. From developing simulations on cutting edge topics to providing a depth of automotive technical background, CDX is committed to making sure instructors and students have the relevant training material to further hone their skill sets within the mechanical, electrical and software driven repair industry. CDX Learning Systems offers a growing library of automotive content that brings highly technical content to the classroom to keep you and your students up to date on what is currently happening within the Mobility Industry. Check out the latest addition to the series, Light Duty Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. 

References 

Skateboard platforms. (2024, July 4). E-Mobility Engineering. https://www.emobility-engineering.com/ev-skateboard-platforms/ 

Turing. (2024). Accelerating Development: Machine Learning in Automotive Software. https://www.turing.com/resources/automotive-machine-learning 

About the Author:

Nicholas Goodnight, PhD is an ASE Master Certified Automotive and Truck Technician and an Instructor at Ivy Tech Community College. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, he brings his passion and expertise to teaching college students the workplace skills they need on the job. For the last several years, Dr. Goodnight has taught in his local community of Fort Wayne and enjoys helping others succeed in their desire to become automotive technicians.

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