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Android Automotive OS will officially be integrated into certain BMWs from March 2023. A way for the manufacturer to offer its customers more personalization, to prepare level 3 autonomous driving and above all to outsource certain technologies.
After Renault, Volvo, Ford and certain brands of the Stellantis group, Android Automotive OS has just won a new war prize, and not the least: BMW. From 2023, the BMW OS 8.0 operating system of certain models from the Munich manufacturer will indeed run on Android Automotive OS.
Android Automotive is integrated into the Renault megane E-Tech ©Renault
If there will be a cohabitation with the current OS running on Linux, Stephan Durach, vice president in charge of technical operations, said: “We incorporate the best from each universe — this can be our own in-house development, open source software, or commercial software, depending on the nature of the specific solution.“
Although no details have been revealed at this time, BMW has specified that Android Automotive OS will also come with over-the-air (OTA) software update capability to keep the system upgraded or roll out new features. .
For the manufacturer’s customers, the question of integration remains insofar as the solution resulting from Mountain View will not be delivered turnkey and it will be up to BMW to customize its overlay, at the level of on-board instrumentation or of the infotainment system, for example. A solution that is already found at Volvo and Renault, with variable customization options.
For the manufacturer, this announcement is also a way to refocus on its core business and outsource the development of infotainment technologies, even if customization remains internal. This approach also allows BMW to accelerate the development of level 3 autonomous driving, which has already been announced at Mercedes.
With this announcement, Android Automotive takes a new step ahead of its competitor CarPlay despite the latest announcements from the Cupertino company at WWDC 2022.