Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), open platform for the connected car, announced that Toyota has adopted the AGL platform for Toyota’s next-generation infotainment system. The 2018 Toyota Camry will be the first Toyota vehicle on the market with the AGL-based system in the United States.
AGL is an open source project hosted by The Linux Foundation that is changing the way automotive manufacturers build software. More than 100 members are working together to develop a common platform that can serve as the de facto industry standard. Sharing an open platform allows for code reuse and a more efficient development process as developers and suppliers can build once and have a product work for multiple OEMs. This ultimately reduces development costs, decreases time-to-market for new products and reduces fragmentation across the industry.
“The flexibility of the AGL platform allows us to quickly roll-out Toyota’s infotainment system across our vehicle line-up, providing customers with greater connectivity and new functionalities at a pace that is more consistent with consumer technology,” said Keiji Yamamoto, Executive Vice President, Connected Company of Toyota Motor Corporation. “Adopting an open source development approach has enabled us to focus resources on developing innovative new features and bringing them to market faster.”
The first AGL-based Toyota infotainment system will debut on the 2018 Toyota Camry in the U.S. late this summer, and it will roll out to most Toyota and Lexus vehicles in North America.
“Toyota is an early adopter of Linux and open source and has been an active member and contributor to AGL for several years,” said Dan Cauchy, Executive Director of Automotive Grade Linux. “They have been a driving force behind the development of the AGL infotainment platform, and we are excited to see the traction that it’s gaining across the industry.”
The new Camry will be built on a modular platform called, TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture). It will help reduce development costs and create a lower center of gravity.
The AGL infotainment platform was built from the ground up by hundreds of engineers across the industry who contributed code to develop a robust, Linux-based operating system and application framework with increased security and capabilities. Automakers and suppliers can customize the platform with features, services and branding to meet their product and customer needs. Toyota actively contributes code back to the AGL platform and will be sharing additional code as their next-generation infotainment system is rolled out.