Connected Cars are NOT Software Defined Vehicles!

In the automotive industry, "connected cars" are vehicles equipped with technology that enables them to communicate with their surroundings, other cars, and various devices. This connectivity is beginning to reshape the way we interact with our cars and the road. In this article we'll provide an understanding of connected cars, their capabilities, and the services they offer. Furthermore, it will distinguish between connected cars and software-defined vehicles (SDVs), and explain why the terms "connected cars" and "software-defined vehicles," which are often used interchangeably, refer to very distinct concepts.

What Are "Connected Cars"?

Connected cars are vehicles embedded with a range of sensors that communicate with other devices inside and outside the vehicle. This connectivity facilitates various services aimed at improving safety, efficiency, and the overall driving experience. So, in short, connectivity is a facilitator of services that are only limited by the imagination of the service provider and the acceptance of the consumer. There are many forms of connectivity technology for connected cars, such as Bluetooth, DSRC, WIFI, and C-V2X. These technologies enable vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, which also includes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-network (V2N), and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) interactions.

V2X communication (not to be confused with C-V2X, a cellular communication standard) is the gold standard of connected car technology, allowing vehicles to exchange information with other vehicles, infrastructure, and networks. However, this capability is still navigating its way from pure concept to practical application. In concept, significantly enhances safety and traffic management by providing features and services that would not be possible without connectivity. V2V is being developed to enable vehicles to share real-time information about their speed and position, helping to reduce collisions and help relay information to other vehicles about congestion, or road conditions further ahead. Similalry, V2I is being developed to allow vehicles to interact with traffic signals and road signs, with this information used by in-vehicle navigation systems to optimise routes, improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.

However, navigation and safety are just two examples of functions connectivity can bring to cars. Connected car services encompass a wide range of functionalities designed to improve the driving experience, and in some cases, are already a reality too. These include:

Payments: In-vehicle payment systems enable drivers to pay for fuel, parking, and tolls without leaving their car. This service enhances convenience and streamlines the payment process.

Entertainment: Connected cars offer various entertainment options, including streaming music, videos, and gaming, providing passengers with an engaging experience during their journey.

Groceries and Food & Beverages: Some connected cars allow users to order groceries and food directly from their vehicle, integrating with services like grocery delivery and food takeout apps.

Roadside Assistance: In case of a breakdown, connected cars can automatically notify roadside assistance services, providing real-time location data and diagnostics to expedite help.

Remote Diagnostics: This service enables real-time monitoring of the vehicle's health, alerting drivers to potential issues before they become serious problems. It also allows for over-the-air updates to the vehicle's software.

Insurance: Usage-based insurance models leverage connected car data to offer personalized insurance premiums based on driving behavior, providing fairer and often lower rates for safe drivers.

Road Usage Charging: Connected cars can facilitate road usage charging, where drivers are billed based on the distance they travel on certain roads, helping to fund road maintenance and reduce congestion.

So What Is a "Software-Defined Vehicle"?

Connected cars, as discussed, are vehicles equipped with technologies that allow them to communicate with other devices and networks. Software-defined vehicles, on the other hand, refer to vehicles where the technical design and technology architecture that runs all the critical systems of the vehicle are controlled by software rather than hardware. SDVs involve the extensive use of software to manage vehicle operations, but critically, the software can be updated and changed, just like a smartphone. The main advantage of software-defined vehicles is the flexibility of the software and its ability to receive updates easily (typically via over-the-air transmission), thus allowing continuous improvement and the ability to add new features without the need for physical modifications. This might seem simple enough, but the significance of SDVs cannot be overstated.

When looking at how cars have evolved technologically, the Controller Area Network (CAN Bus) has been at the heart of how a vehicle operates. It's important to note that currently, the firmware and hardware installed in a modern car are designed similarly to the rest of the car. They are designed for their purpose, tested repeatedly to identify any issues, and once fully tested (and homologated for production), much like the physical structure of the car itself, the design is "locked down" and no changes are made. The firmware and hardware are essentially "fixed" for the life of the car, and while this results in an ultra-stable operating system. It also means it's ultra-inflexible.

While this brings with it the surety that the systems on the car will "just work", the limits of what a CAN Bus can achieve are now being reached. A typical modern car now has around 2-3 miles of wiring weighing approximately 20kgs, around 75 ECUs, over 60 sensors, and 100 million lines of code, and consumers' demand for more technology and features keeps coming...

There are also bandwidth limitations, finite space available, and, perhaps most importantly, total inflexibility in how the car's firmware can be updated.

Therefore, the concept of the Software-Defined Vehicle has been born with the intention to shift the paradigm of how systems are built and deployed. The intention is to effectively decouple the car from its software, and is conceptually very similar to smartphone manufacturing. This allows for much greater flexibility in the design of software systems, and the ability to update, adjust, improve, or even completely replace software (via OTA updates) in the car while it is in service.

This is not without its own risks and limitations, but that will be discussed separately, another day.