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French automaker Renault is partnering with Google (GOOGL, $88.90) to develop its cars like a tech company makes software. The pact, which expands on a previous collaboration between the two firms, will see Renault commit to making what it calls a “software-defined” vehicle using technology from Google’s cloud division.
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The companies will work together to create a “Digital Twin,” or a virtual carbon copy of a vehicle that features advanced artificial intelligence capabilities “for an easier and continuous integration of new services into the vehicle and the creation of new onboard (In-Car Services) and offboard applications."
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Google and Renault claim that collaborating on software and testing out new AI capabilities in a virtual simulation will help improve the vehicle’s operations through improved, real-time diagnostics. The car will tell the driver when it’s in need of maintenance or even rectifies the problem itself.
09 Nov 2022
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Over-the-Air Connection ?
Google and Renault’s auto deal could be game-changing
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Why it matters
Renault first partnered with Google in 2018 to integrate the tech giant’s Android operating system into in-car media displays. This development comes as other automakers move to develop software-defined vehicles as they rush to compete with Tesla (TSLA, $191.30), which has come to define what customers expect from their vehicle’s software. The idea is that a vehicle is sold with a base level of hardware and that its features are largely dictated by its software, which can be updated and improved with over-the-air updates.