The interest of Apple and Google in the automotive industry is not new, and they have made it clear that they no longer only want to provide “infotainment” solutions. Both want their software to integrate more deeply with the cars to make a leap in quality that the public has been waiting for a long time; and what is seen with Android Automotive and the new CarPlay are clear examples of this. However, Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen, does not like the idea at all.
In a recent interview with the German media T3Nthe executive expressed his disgust at what he considers to be an attempt by the big technology companies to take over the automotive industry. “Just three weeks ago, Apple announced that it wanted to take over all infotainment with CarPlay. Apple and Google want to take control of the customer away from us, we shouldn’t allow that!” he asserted.
But Diess’s complaint did not stop there. He also said that he doesn’t want to have to say Hey Siri to access your Volkswagen information. “We have to maintain customer sovereignty,” he added. And as if this were not enough, he assured that if platforms like CarPlay become massive, the automotive they will be downgraded to simple “metal folders” by 2030.
VW CEO sees new CarPlay as a threat
What Diess makes clear is that Apple and Google found a seam to exploit that the automakers have so far failed to address. The software that currently powers the vast majority of the world’s cars—be they combustion-engined, hybrid, or electric—is a mess. And very, very, old-fashioned. The clear exception to the rule is Teslawhich thanks to its approach as a software and hardware developer company (and not as a conventional automaker) has taken several bodies ahead of the competition.
But why does the CEO of Volkswagen understand that platforms like Android Automotive and the new CarPlay are a threat? Because, precisely, they expose the great shortcomings of car manufacturers when dealing with the development of their software. It was never a priority, and now they are paying the consequences.
But Diess’s remarks can also be taken as more than just an “attack” on Apple or Google for wanting to “take over” the industry. Specifically, as a wake up call closed doors so as not to fall asleep in a fundamental branch such as software; especially, when the automakers face the process towards definitive electrification.
However, the expressions of the executive are still striking. Especially when Audi Y porschetwo brands of the Volkswagen Group, appeared on screen when Apple presented the new CarPlay at the last WWDC.
For now, VW has entrusted the development of its software to a subsidiary called CARY. “We are building a unified technology and software platform, including an operating system for vehicles, a cloud platform for vehicles and a new unified architecture for all brands of the Volkswagen Group,” says its website.