Automakers at Auto Show Moving Swiftly to Merge Connectivity Software

The platforms are emerging in a variety of forms and, with 80 percent of vehicles having an infotainment system by 2020 -- double the current installed base -- the field will be wide open, said Gartner analyst Thilo Koslowski. General Motors aligning with AT&T to bring 4G LTE connectivity to 2015 OnStar-equipped Chevrolet vehicles kickstarted efforts to bring smartphone and tablet functions to infotainment systems. CarPlay has gained traction with automakers such as Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, and the Open Automotive Alliance, with the backing of Audi, GM, Honda and Hyundai, is moving to make Google Android a key component of new platforms.

With new platforms arriving at a rapid clip, automakers also are hedging their bets. In addition to supporting the Open Automotive Alliance, GM is backing CarPlay, which integrates an “eyes free” mode for satellite navigation, and hands-free phone and music controls. Hyundai is using Google search software in its new BlueLink 2.0 that’s working with 3G wireless for navigation for the first time and it also plans to bring CarPlay to its new 2015 Sonata midsize sedan, although whether that will be pre-installed or sold as an option hasn’t been decided, Michael Deitz, Hyundai senior group manager-connected car, told us.

Microsoft also recently unveiled its Windows in the Car platform with an interface that resembles a hybrid of mobile and desktop operating systems and a user interface for streamlining voice commands. The Windows in the Car software is built around MirrorLink technology that combines wired and wireless technology into a common “language” for smartphones to sync with dashboards. MirrorLink is central to the Car Connectivity Consortium that includes Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen plus Alpine and Pioneer. CarPlay isn’t compatible with MirrorLink, but does work with QNX, which has a 50-70 percent share of car infotainment systems, industry analysts have said. QNX’s key selling point has been its compatibility with Java, HTML5, OpenGL ES and Android packages.

"I always thought Bluetooth was Bluetooth, but there are different interpretations of it” and the automotive operating system market is “even more bifurcated now,” Raj Nair, Ford group vice president-global product development, told us. “We would love to get some standardization close to Bluetooth, but that’s not where we are at right now. I think there is a higher-level interest in standardization among software suppliers, but everyone wants the operating system to be their own so they get a competitive advantage. While other manufacturers are tying themselves to one operating system software or the other, we are try to work closely with all of them."

Ford has been moving toward revamping its Sync infotainment system since acquiring Livio last fall and is installing Sync in the new 2015 Ford Mustang, a limited-edition version of which is shipping later this year as part of the 50th anniversary of the car’s introduction. While Ford reportedly is planning to expand Sync’s operating system software beyond Microsoft, Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields denied his company was ending its Microsoft partnership. Ford is working toward combining Livio with Sync, but Fields declined to comment on when the integration would be complete. “Clearly it’s going to happen,” Fields told us.

While Microsoft remains a platform partner, “we do try to be platform-agnostic and take them in and evaluate them and make sure consumers don’t feel like they are going to make their $25,000 vehicle decision based on their $200 smartphone,” Nair said.

The evolving software and hardware systems are quickening automakers development cycles, which typically run three years, executives said. Toyota’s new 2015 Camry features an updated EnTunes infotainment system, software that is increasingly requiring update every “couple of months,” Toyota Chief Engineer Monte Kaehr said. Toyota also installed 1,900 new components in the 2015 Camry to keep pace with changes, he said. And while Toyota has been in discussions with Apple, Google and Microsoft, the heart of the issue rests on its retaining some control of the operating system, Kaehr said.

"We have been in discussion with these companies and some of them are ready and some aren’t,” Kaehr said. “It is the absolutely early days, and with the distracted driving issue that we are working through” with federal agencies, “we have to keep control to make sure they can satisfy the government’s recommendations and that’s why we don’t just use anything from anybody."

Automakers are also increasingly including 4G LTE connectivity in vehicles, joining GM in expanding its use. The new 2015 Audi A3 Sportback will include it as part of the optional Audi Connect platform, which also has navigation and other features. Audi added 4G LTE last year to the A3 vehicles in an alliance with AT&T. The Audi Connect option starts at $1,900. “It’s just a faster, quicker connection and our customers are starting to ask for it,” an Audi spokeswoman said.

The Wireless Power Consortium also gained a further foothold for its Qi wireless charging technology with Toyota, which is including it as an option with the 2015 Camry. Toyota first installed the Qi technology in the Avalon last year. “Based on our understanding of where the market is going this is what will be the best fit for the variety of phones out there,” Kaehr said. “We plan to continue using it as the platform moving forward.” But Hyundai has no plans to add Qi or any other wireless charging technology, largely because of concerns that Qi won’t be compatible with its customers’ smartphones, Hyundai’s Deitz said.