Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) are increasingly playing a crucial role in automakers’ product evolution. From consolidating hardware to providing regular software updates and the necessary compute power for future applications such as autonomous driving and digital cockpits, the SDV will become a defining enabler.

In this latest episode of ‘The Counterpoint Podcast’, host Murtuza Ali is joined by Benjamin Lyon, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Aptiv, a global technology firm and automotive supplier. The conversation dives into Aptiv’s software platform and service offering, which are enabling the SDV for automotive OEMs.

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Key takeaways from the discussion:

Aptiv’s smart vehicle architecture for SDV minimizes complexity

• Aptiv’s smart vehicle architecture enables the containerization of software to allow for discreet testing of software updates to speed up and simplify the OTA software update process.
• The acquisition of Wind River has solidified the offering of DevOps toolchain for software development, which can support the OEMs in developing new software features from inception to delivery.

Aptiv’s strong play in advanced safety and intelligent systems

• From perception to decision-making, Aptiv offers a full end-to-end hardware and software solution.
• Modularization of Aptiv’s software enables it to meet customer needs. OEMs on the SDV journey are moving at different speeds and levels of development.
• Aptiv is also collaborating and partnering with suppliers at the regional level to provide OEMs with tailored solutions.
• It is also leveraging Wind River’s experience in working with non-automotive clients like aerospace, defense and telecom to cut the lessons learned on software development.

Aptiv’s abstraction layer allows OEMs to choose cost-competitive hardware

• It enables mixed criticality through software. Safety-critical applications are protected from other functions like infotainment and remain accessible to the vehicle on demand.
• Aptiv’s toolchain handles complexity for the developers so that the software can take full advantage of the hardware and minimize redundancy.
  

Analyst takeaways:

• Aptiv has a strong end-to-end vehicle software platform that is modular, enabling it to meet customers’ needs on their SDV journey.
• Its Wind River acquisition provides a well-defined DevOps toolchain for software development and also leverages the learnings in software development from non-automotive industries to speed up software development and implementation for Aptiv’s automotive clients.
• The software adopts the approach of mixed criticality – essentially building a software firewall to protect safety-critical function deployment while utilizing the added compute available from architecture centralization for other functions such as infotainment.
• Reduction in hardware, ease of assembly and minimization of points of failure are some of the benefits Aptiv has focused upon to provide a positive cost-down business case to its clients.