Skip to main content

Volkswagen says no thanks to outsiders as it develops its own operating system

Volkswagen ID pre-production prototype
Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

While some automakers are turning to tech giants like Intel and Google to develop in-car software, the Volkswagen Group believes it makes more sense to take the matter into its own hands. It plans to assemble an international team of more than 5,000 digital experts to develop a modular operating system named vw.os. It will make its debut in the electric ID.3 (pictured) scheduled to break cover at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show before gradually spreading to every model in the group’s portfolio by 2025.

Volkswagen’s growing Car.Software unit will be responsible for at least 60% of the group’s software development efforts by 2025, up from about 10% in 2019. The division will split its work into five key areas: Operating system and connectivity, intelligent body and cockpit, automated driving, vehicle, and energy performance, plus service platforms and mobility services.

Grouping software development into one division makes sense, especially considering the Volkswagen Group’s portfolio is one of the widest in the industry. It ranges from small, relatively affordable city cars like the Up! — which isn’t sold in the United States — to some of the most exclusive cars in the world like the Bugatti Chiron. The German company explained that, as of 2019, it sources up to 70 control units from about 200 different suppliers as it develops a new car. And, several of its brands have independently developed software — like infotainment and navigation technology — that overlaps. It aims to simplify the development process while sharply reducing its dependence on outside suppliers.

That doesn’t mean the eighth-generation Golf will come with the same infotainment system as Bugatti’s long-rumored second model. The basic platform will be the same, but each brand will customize it as it sees fits. The software will be highly flexible, so a brand like Lamborghini will be able to add a lap timer to its software if it needs one, while a Jetta in a car-sharing program could conceivably feature service-specific functions. The system will exchange information with the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud regardless of which model it’s installed in.

This approach to developing software is similar to how the Volkswagen Group already builds cars. Many of its platforms are surprisingly flexible; the Audi TT and the Volkswagen Atlas share the same basic underpinnings (the MQB platform) even though they’re completely different cars. The MEB platform developed for electric cars (including the aforementioned ID.3) will be even more modular. By applying this strategy to software, the group plans to develop better tech that will make its upcoming cars smarter and more user-friendly.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Russia wants to build its own reusable rocket, Roscosmos chief says
Soyuz MS-16 lifts off

SpaceX has revolutionized the space industry by perfecting its rockets with reusable first stages, making space launches potentially more affordable and more sustainable. Europe has already announced its intentions to jump on the reusable rocket bandwagon with plans to make its own reusable rocket engine, and now Russia has announced its intention to create a reusable rocket as well.

As reported by AFP via phys.org, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, recently shared plans about the agency's future plans for rockets. "We are making a methane rocket to replace the Soyuz-2," he said in an interview. The agency intends for the first stage of the new rocket to be reusable for at least 100 launches.

Read more
What is Linux? It’s a free operating system you may already use without knowing
What is Linux

MacOS and Windows are the two most popular desktop and laptop operating systems. They’re the two central OS choices dominating the desktop and laptop markets today. But have you heard of the alternative to both of these options? It's called Linux and it's entirely free, and very powerful.

What is Linux? It could be your next OS of choice.
A quick Linux history lesson
In 1991, when Terminator 2: Judgement Day was a massive hit in theaters, and Intel’s first 32-bit processor, the 80386, had become a widely-used chip in PCs, the Windows OS was still an infant. Unix was the most-used operating system at the time, both commercially and in academic institutions.

Read more
Can a vintage Volkswagen Bus be quick and silent? You bet, if it’s electric
Volkswagen E-Bulli concept

Previous

Next

Read more