Connected Car News: Omnitracs, INRIX, Marvell, AWS, Samsung, Bosch, Seimens, TomTom, Iteris & Convestro

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In connected care news are Omnitracs, INRIX, Marvell, AWS, Samsung, Bosch, Seimens, TomTom, Iteris and Convestro.

Omnitracs’ Consistent Devices for Fleets

Omnitracs, LLC, a Solera company, announced a new all-in-one fully configured mobile device solution for Omnitracs One. The new solution addresses mobile expertise challenges within a fleet’s business, while promoting consistency, increasing productivity, eliminating multi-vendor sourcing, and providing quick replacement of driver tablets when needed.

Since evolving to mobile solutions, fleets have faced a multitude of challenges. Staff limitations reduce the ability to properly load, configure, test, and ship tablets to drivers, while also trying to support drivers with non-functioning or broken tablets in the field. This is further complicated by having to source equipment and services (tablets, mounts, mobile device management) through multiple vendors for drivers across a vast geographic area.

INRIX ParkMe App in Faurecia Aptoide Automotve App Store

INRIX, Inc., a leader in connected car services and mobility analytics, and Faurecia Aptoide Automotive App Store announce a collaboration to offer parking availability and dynamic rates to millions of vehicles worldwide. INRIX ParkMe enables drivers to easily find, compare and navigate to open parking spaces in more than 150 countries.

Faurecia Aptoide’s solution offers carmakers and their customers a secure, connected, and upgradeable App Store managed through an intuitive HMI and covering a range of needs and use cases, including navigation, fuel, and parking information; music, video, and audiobook streaming; and gaming, weather, and point-of-interest recommendations. OEMs can select the apps to offer based on customers’ priorities in different regions.

With Faurecia Aptoide Automotive App Store, INRIX joins other leading apps to build the future of the in-vehicle experience. Faurecia Aptoide keeps the apps automatically updated and the ecosystem tailors to the driver’s security and comfort.

“Faurecia Aptoide offers an excellent opportunity to bring our parking services to a wide range of users throughout its automotive App Store. Through this partnership, drivers can access the most robust and comprehensive parking product available, including on-street and off-street parking availability and dynamic rates straight from the dash,” says Reinhard Richthammer, vice president of automotive EMEA, INRIX.

Marvell Intros PHYs

– Marvell introduced the industry’s first 802.1AE MACsec integrated dual 1000BT1 and 100BT1 PHYs. The newly announced products extend Marvell’s leadership in automotive Ethernet PHY while aiding OEMs in the transition toward software-defined vehicles, where secure communication of data is a critical requirement. These Ethernet PHY solutions enable energy efficient, secure in-vehicle networks and assist in achieving functional safety compliance at the system level.

MACsec technology secures data exchange on a hop-by-hop basis and prevents Layer 2 security threats such as intrusion, man-in-the-middle, and replay attacks. Automotive networks rely heavily on partial networking in which some segments are hibernated and woken up on demand. Marvell’s latest PHYs support the Open Alliance TC10 for sleep mode and wake-up, tailored for automotive use cases. TC10 control signals are sent over the data line and minimize the need for special cables for remote control of the PHY states. Rapid electrification of vehicles has resulted in reduced power budget for each component.

Marvell’s new dual 1000BT1 88Q2233M with MACsec and 100BT1 88Q120xM with MACsec are the latest additions to the Brightlane PHY automotive portfolio. With the introduction of these groundbreaking solutions, Marvell achieves several industry firsts, including the first to launch an 802.3bp compliant dual 1000BT1 PHY with MACsec integrated, and the first to launch an 802.3bw compliant 100BT1 PHY with MACsec integrated.

“The launch of 88Q2233M and 88Q120xM underscores Marvell’s commitment to developing innovative solutions for the automotive market and ushers in a new era of software-defined vehicles,” said Will Chu, senior vice president and general manager of the Automotive Business Unit, Marvell. “Ethernet adoption is growing at a rapid pace, with future vehicle designs requiring multiple gigabit PHYs. Our new solutions seamlessly solve the issue of space constraint by integrating two 1000Base-T1 in a single package. The products also reduce the total BOM cost as many of the external components are common for the two 1000Base-T1 PHYs.”

“Marvell’s new MACsec integrated dual 1000BASE-T1 and 100BASE-T1 PHYs are helping solve a critical requirement of secure communication for a new generation of software-defined vehicles,” said Ian Riches, vice president for the Global Automotive Practice, Strategy Analytics. “With this launch, Marvell is staking a leadership position in secure automotive Ethernet while helping tier ones and OEMs build smarter, safer and greener vehicles of the future.”

As automotive networks are required to work in noisy environments, devices must be able to work together without interference. All components on the network should meet the electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) requirements in accordance with the Open Alliance TC1 and TC12. As Marvell’s third-generation automotive ethernet PHYs, 88Q2233M and 88Q120xM are built on proven automotive architectures that deliver best-in-class EMI/EMC performance.

Key Features:

  • 88Q2233M: Dual 1000BASE-T1, IEEE 802.3bp-compliant Ethernet PHY supports operation over unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
  • 88Q120xM: 100BASE-T1, IEEE 802.3bw-compliant Ethernet PHY supports operation over unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
  • Supports IEEE 802.1AE MACsec: Support MACsec that provides layer 2 security and prevents security threats such as intrusion, man-in-the-middle, and replay attacks
  • Supports OPEN Alliance TC10 Sleep Mode: Support TC10 fast wake-sleep mechanism to enable partial networking
  • 802.1AS, 802.1AS-Rev PTP: Support precision timing protocol that enables extremely precise time synchronization of networks
  • Integrated Voltage Regulators: Support single 3.3V supply mode and saves overall BOM cost
  • ASPICE Level 2 software: Enables faster time-to-market with reuse of a flexible API and robust solution
Availability:

The Marvell 88Q2233M and 88Q120xM are currently sampling along with their development boards.

Marvell Multi-Gig Ethernet

Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) today introduced the industry’s first multi-gig Ethernet camera bridge solution, 88QB5224, for best-in-class video distribution in connected vehicles. As cars become smarter, connected and software-oriented, scalable automotive solutions will increasingly power software-defined vehicles. The key technology for scalability is an Ethernet backbone that connects all domain electronic control units (ECUs) as well as cameras and sensors to central compute devices in the vehicle. This groundbreaking Ethernet device is the latest addition to Marvell’s Brightlane™ automotive portfolio, which is delivering a host of innovative and secure solutions for the vehicles of the future.

Marvell’s new multi-gig Ethernet camera bridge provides standardization for in-vehicle video distribution in multiple areas including IEEE 802.3ch compliant 10GBASE-T1 PHY, IEEE 802.1AE MACsec for security, time synchronization, energy efficient Ethernet for power savings, power over data line, and time sensitive network. The Ethernet-based camera bridge enables development of interoperable software that delivers key services through a multilayer communication stack. It also provides a mature ecosystem of service delivery through software-based architecture. Marvell is first to launch a 10G Ethernet camera bridge for distributing uncompressed video, and the first to aggregate four cameras through a single device.

Automakers have been collecting data from standard vehicle sensors for over a decade to evaluate operational and safety indicators like engine temperature and vehicle stability. However, automakers today are building cars with new classes of advanced sensors like radar and cameras that improve vehicle safety but also generate exponentially increasing amounts of data. For example, advanced vehicle sensors can generate up to 2 terabytes of data hourly per vehicle, making the cost of transferring this type of data to the cloud prohibitive. Automakers want to collect, standardize, and transfer this data to the cloud more cost-effectively, so they can use it to generate insights that help improve vehicle quality, safety, and autonomy. However, the ever-increasing variety of vehicle makes, models, and options that generate data in different proprietary formats creates a complex array of data across the vehicles on the road. Collecting and transforming all of this vehicle data so that it can be analyzed in the cloud requires automakers to build custom data collection systems that standardize the data across the wide variety of data formats, which is difficult and time-consuming. Instead, automakers want to select the data to collect and transfer to the cloud in near-real time based on their specific use case, but this type of intelligent data filtering doesn’t exist today. As a result, automakers are unable to put data to work to help solve common problems like diagnosing issues with individual vehicle performance, spotting fleet-wide issues before they become a growing problem, and using the data to improve vehicle performance and autonomy.

AWS IoT FleetWise

AWS IoT FleetWise provides automakers a managed service that makes it easier and more cost-effective to collect and transfer data from millions of vehicles to the cloud in near-real time. AWS IoT FleetWise can access the unique data format of a vehicle and then structure and standardize the data so automakers don’t have to develop custom data collection systems. Automakers start in the AWS Management Console by defining and modeling vehicle attributes (e.g. a two-door coupe) and the sensors associated with the car’s make, model, and options (e.g. engine temperature, front-impact warning, parking assist system, etc.) for individual vehicle types or multiple vehicle types across their entire fleet. After vehicle modeling, automakers install the AWS IoT FleetWise application on the vehicle gateway (an in-vehicle communications hub that monitors and collects data), so it can read, decode, and transmit information to and from AWS. With AWS IoT FleetWise’s intelligent filtering controls, automakers can select the exact data they need for their use cases and help reduce costs by limiting the amount of data transferred to the cloud by creating conditional rules to filter the data they want to collect and analyze (e.g. sensor data from hard-braking events associated with a vehicle make and model). Once data is transferred to the cloud with AWS IoT FleetWise, automakers can use AWS’s breadth and depth of services to extract value from vehicle data. For example, automakers can use intelligent filtering to collect camera data from vehicles traveling on newly built highways when an autonomous driving system identifies text in road signage with less than 90% confidence. When that data is sent to the cloud, automakers can label the data for accuracy to improve the machine learning models powering autonomous driving systems. Or, automakers can use intelligent filtering to collect data from electric vehicle batteries when the temperature drops below freezing and then analyze it and run simulations in the cloud to improve battery performance in cold weather.

“While automakers have collected, stored, and analyzed vehicle data for years, they are not equipped to manage the explosion of data generated by advanced vehicle safety and autonomous driving systems, nor have they had access to the near-real-time data needed to help proactively address vehicle problems,” said Mike Tzamaloukas, General Manager of IoT Automotive at AWS. “With AWS IoT FleetWise, automakers can now efficiently collect this data, transform it, and gain deep, actionable insights on the condition and usage of vehicles on the road. Automakers can now use the power of AWS to help maintain millions of vehicles, increase vehicle safety, and improve customer service.”

AWS IoT FleetWise is a new service that is part of AWS for Automotive, a comprehensive offering of AWS services and AWS Partner Network (APN) solutions used by automotive and mobility customers globally to help automotive customers digitally transform their business for connected mobility, digital customer engagement, product design and engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain. For more information on AWS for Automotive, visit aws.com/automotive.

AWS IoT FleetWise with standard vehicle data collection is available in preview today in US East (N. Virginia) and Europe (Frankfurt), with availability in additional AWS Regions coming soon.

Samsung Exynos for Automotive

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today introduced three of its latest automotive chip solutions; the Exynos Auto T5123 for 5G connectivity, the Exynos Auto V7 for comprehensive in-vehicle infotainment systems, and the ASIL-B certified S2VPS01 power management IC (PMIC) for the Auto V series.

“Smarter and more connected automotive technologies for enriched in-vehicle experiences including entertainment, safety and comfort are becoming critical features on the road,” said Jaehong Park, Executive Vice President of System LSI Custom SOC Business at Samsung Electronics. “With an advanced 5G modem, an AI-enhanced multi-core processor, and a market-proven PMIC solution, Samsung is transfusing its expertise in mobile solutions into its automotive lineup and is positioned to expand its presence within the field.”

Exynos Auto T5123: The Industry’s First 5G Connectivity Solution for Automobiles

The Exynos Auto T5123 is a 3GPP Release 15 telematics control unit specifically designed to bring fast and seamless 5G connectivity in both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) mode to the next generation of connected cars. It delivers essential information to the vehicle in real-time via high-speed download of up to 5.1 gigabits per second (Gbps) and allows passengers to enjoy a host of new services such as high-definition content streaming and video calls on the go.

To efficiently process large amounts of data transmitted and received through the 5G modem, the Exynos Auto T5123 supports a high speed PCIe (PCI Express) interface and a low-power high-performance LPDDR4x mobile DRAM. In addition, the unit comes with two Cortex-A55 CPU cores and a built-in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to minimize the use of external ICs and help reduce product development time. The T5123 meets stringent requirements for automotive components and is Automotive Electronics Council-Q100 (AEC-Q100) qualified.

The Exynos Auto T5123 is currently in mass production and is delivering 5G-based vehicle communication capabilities for the first time in the industry.

Exynos Auto V7: A Powerful Processor for IVI Systems in Mid to High-end Vehicles

The Exynos Auto V7 is the newest addition to Samsung’s automotive-brand processor lineup and is designed for in-vehicle infotainment systems. For powerful processing performance, the V7 integrates eight 1.5-gigahertz (GHz) Arm Cortex-A76 CPU cores and 11 Arm Mali G76 GPU cores. The GPU comes in two separate groups, with three cores in the ‘small’ domain for cluster display and AR-HUD, and eight in the ‘big’ domain for central information display (CID) and others. Such physical separation allows the GPU to support multiple systems simultaneously and brings safer operation as it keeps one domain from interfering with another. In addition to its powerful CPU and GPU, the V7 is equipped with an NPU for convenient services such as virtual assistance that can process visual and audio data for face, speech or gesture recognition features.

For a safer and more enjoyable driving experience, the Exynos Auto V7 supports up to four displays and 12 camera inputs that provide information to assist drivers and passengers. The V7’s imaging system provides bad pixel correction, dynamic range compression and geometric distortion correction to provide noiseless and distortion-free images for features like surround view and parking assistance. For immersive in-car entertainment, the chip comes with three HiFi 4 audio processors that deliver excellent audio quality for songs, movies and even games on the go. To run all these features as smoothly as possible, the V7 has up to 32 gigabytes (GB) of LPDDR4x memory capacity that offers high bandwidth of up to 68.3 gigabytes per second (GB/s).

The Exynos Auto V7 also offers strong data protection through an isolated security processor for crypto operation and provides a hardware key using a one-time programmable (OTP) or physical unclonable function (PUF). Furthermore, for critical functional safety, the Exynos Auto V7 complies with ASIL-B requirements of safety support for a digital cluster and an embedded safety island that detect and manage faults to maintain a safe state with a fault management unit (FMU).

The Exynos Auto V7 is currently in mass production and is being used in Volkswagen’s latest In-Car Application-Server (ICAS) 3.1, developed by LG Electronics’ VS (Vehicle component Solutions) division, to power their next-generation in-vehicle infotainment system.

S2VPS01 – An ASIL-B Certified Power Management IC for the Exynos Auto V Series

The S2VPS01 is a PMIC specifically designed and developed for the Exynos Auto V9 and V7. It is Samsung’s first automotive solution produced under the ISO 26262 functional safety process certification that was acquired in 2019, and it also achieved an ASIL-B certification in 2021.

An Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), specified under ISO 26262, ranges from A to D, with D being the highest level. The Level is assigned by analyzing and assessing the severity, exposure and controllability of vehicle operations in a number of environments. To ensure the safety of vehicle systems, ASIL-B compliance is becoming a key requirement for automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers when selecting partners and solutions.

The S2VPS01 regulates and rectifies the flow of electrical power, allowing reliable and robust in-vehicle infotainment system performance. It is comprised of highly efficient triple/dual-phase buck converters, and integrates a low-dropout regulator (LDO) and real-time clock (RTC) within the package. For protection from harsh thermal and electrical conditions, the power IC comes with various protection functions including over voltage protection (OVP), under voltage protection (UVP), short circuit protection (SCP), over current protection (OCP), thermal shut down (TSD), clock monitoring, and output stuck checks.

Bosch SiC Semiconductors

They are small, powerful, and extremely efficient: semiconductors made of silicon carbide (SiC). After several years of development, Bosch is now starting volume production of power semiconductors made of this innovative material, supplying automotive manufacturers worldwide. In the future, more and more production vehicles will feature these chips. “The future for silicon carbide semiconductors is bright. We want to become a global leader in the production of SiC chips for electromobility,” says Harald Kroeger, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. Two years ago, the supplier of technology and services had announced that it would push ahead with the development of SiC chips and enter production. For this, Bosch has developed its own highly complex manufacturing processes, which it has been using to produce the special semiconductors since the beginning of 2021 – initially as samples for customer validation. “Our order books are full, thanks to the boom in electromobility,” Kroeger says. In the future, Bosch intends to expand its production capacity for SiC power semiconductors to a unit volume running into the hundreds of millions. With this in mind, the company has already started expanding the clean-room space at its Reutlingen plant. In parallel, work is also being done on the second generation of SiC chips, which will be even more efficient and should be ready for volume production as of 2022. Bosch is receiving support for the development of these innovative manufacturing processes for SiC semiconductors from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as part of the “Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) Microelectronics” program. “For several years now, we have been providing support to help establish semiconductor production in Germany. Bosch’s highly innovative semiconductor production strengthens the microelectronics ecosystem in Europe and is a further step toward greater independence in this key field of digitalization,” says Peter Altmaier, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs.

The stuff range dreams are made of

Around the world, demand for silicon carbide power semiconductors is rising. A forecast by the market research and consulting company Yole indicates that, between now and 2025, the SiC market as a whole will grow on average by 30 percent a year to over 2.5 billion dollars. At around 1.5 billion dollars, the SiC car market is expected to account for the lion’s share. “Silicon carbide power semiconductors make particularly efficient use of energy. This material’s advantages really come to the fore in energy-intensive applications such as electromobility,” Kroeger says. In the power electronics of electric vehicles, silicon carbide chips ensure that drivers can drive significantly further on one battery charge – on average around 6 percent further than with their pure silicon counterparts. In order to meet steadily increasing demand for these semiconductors, an extra 1,000 square meters were already added to the clean-room space at the Bosch wafer fab in Reutlingen in 2021. Another 3,000 square meters will be added by the end of 2023. The new space will house state-of-the-art production facilities for manufacturing silicon carbide semiconductors using processes developed in-house. To achieve this, Bosch’s semiconductor experts are building on their decades of expertise in chip manufacturing. In the future, the company – incidentally the only automotive supplier to produce its own silicon carbide chips – plans to manufacture the semiconductors on 200-millimeter wafers. Compared with today’s 150-millimeter wafers, this will deliver sizeable economies of scale. After all, it takes several months for a single wafer to pass through several hundred process steps in countless machines. “By producing on larger wafers, we can manufacture significantly more chips in one production run and thus supply more customers,” Kroeger says.

Small atom, big impact

The secret behind SiC chips’ impressive performance lies in a tiny carbon atom. Introducing it into the crystalline structure of the ultra-pure silicon generally used to manufacture semiconductors gives the raw material special physical properties: for example, silicon carbide semiconductors support higher switching frequencies than pure silicon chips. What’s more, they lose only half as much energy in the form of heat, thereby increasing the range of electric vehicles. The chips are also important for 800-volt systems, where they enable faster recharging and better performance. Since the SiC chips also emit significantly less heat, the power electronics require less in the way of costly cooling. In addition to weight, this is another way to reduce the cost of electric vehicles. In the future, Bosch will supply silicon carbide power semiconductors to customers around the world – both as individual chips and installed in power electronics or complete solutions such as the e-axle. This combination of electric motor, gearbox, and power electronics achieves an efficiency of up to 96 percent thanks to the more efficient.

ZF Rescue Connect

The new digital solution ZF Rescue Connect networks rescue forces with each other during their operations and provides them with all important status information of the deployed vehicles and equipment in real time. “With ZF Rescue Connect, we are offering the first comprehensive, manufacturer-independent connectivity solution for rescue forces in Europe,” explains Florian Freund, responsible for the ZF Rescue Connect development. “Delivering a scalable digital solution based on our pan-European ‘Internet of Things’ cloud makes the ZF digital service so valuable and affordable for widespread use,” says Dr. Gahl Berkooz, Head of the ZF Digital Venture Accelerator and Data Monetization.

The digital solution is specially designed for manufacturers of emergency vehicles, rescue equipment and mission-specific software. Manufacturer-independent solutions can also be beneficial for organizations with security tasks as well as for state and federal authorities. ZF Rescue Connect supports emergency services and decision-makers alike in dealing with everyday tasks as well as major incidents, reducing total cost of ownership and accelerating and focusing response.

Manufacturer-independent cloud solution

The solution is based a European cloud platform, which the technology group ZF operates together with other well-known industry partners, such as MP-BOS GmbH and Eurocommand GmbH, for the rescue organizations. Here, all data about accident victims, the rescue forces deployed, the rescue vehicles and the rescue equipment converge can be accessed by the operations center via a ‘dashboard’. Small electronic transmitters and receivers connect the people, vehicles and equipment to the cloud via mobile network communications.

Rescue workers involved in the operation carry their personal ‘ZF CrewTAG’ with them so that they are visible on a digital map during the entire operation. The accident victims each receive a ‘ZF LifeTAG’ from the first arriving rescuers until they are safely cared for. The emergency vehicles and important equipment are equipped with corresponding On-Board Units. ZF offers the transmitters and receivers either as original equipment for vehicles and rescue equipment or as a manufacturer-independent retrofit solution. Solutions from other suppliers can also be integrated into the cloud via standardized communication interfaces. The central ‘dashboard’ clearly summarizes the information for the incident command in real time and facilitates informed decision-making according to the current situation.

Established technologies for new markets

Based on years of experience with digital telematics solutions for buses and commercial vehicles, ZF has developed the ZF Rescue Connect connectivity solution for a market in which no comprehensive, manufacturer-independent and affordable connectivity solution has been available to date. The solution was developed in the ZF Data Venture Accelerator, which is a worldwide hub for digital business within ZF’s Corporate Research and Development department. It was set up to support and accelerate product developments whose ideas and concepts have successfully proven their added value and technological feasibility – from initial realizations to mature digital products and services.

Siemens Supports Kia and Hyundai

Siemens and Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation (Hyundai and Kia) announced a new technology partnership to accelerate their digital transformation and a new future of mobility. Hyundai and Kia has selected Siemens as the preferred bidder and strategic partner to provide next generation engineering and product data management through NX™ software and the Teamcenter® portfolio from Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio of integrated software, services and development platform. Hyundai and Kia has evaluated and assessed various alternatives including incumbent solutions and selected Siemens’ software, embracing the world’s most comprehensive digital twin. Hyundai and Kia will cooperate with Siemens as its key trusted partner, to drive the future of mobility.

Hyundai and Kia and Siemens will collaborate to establish design methods and develop custom solutions that consider the lifecycle of all automobiles and associated processes and activities, such as production, purchasing and partners research and development. In addition to providing software, Siemens will provide professional and specialized training to help Hyundai and Kia ensure efficient use/operation of Siemens’ software across its network of suppliers.

Covestro & Ceres Holographics

Covestro and Ceres Holographics, Scotland, are now expanding their collaboration to make transparent displays with volume holographic optical elements fit for application readiness in the automotive industry in particular. The opening of Ceres Holographics’ new digital mastering and replication facility in Livingston is another important step for both companies to build and scale this technology.

The technical collaboration will focus on optimizing Covestro’s Bayfol® HX film and Ceres’ HoloFlekt® mastering and replication equipment with respect to the system geometry of various vehicle classes, imaging performance, as well as integration requirements. “By expanding our relationship with our long-time partner Ceres, we are significantly advancing forward-looking display solutions. The interest and exchange with OEMs shows us that a new generation of displays for mobility applications are important,” says Moritz Winterstein, Head of Growth Ventures Specialty Films at Covestro.

Ceres’ holography system and design capabilities enable the development of vehicle-specific master designs, which can then be produced in replicas as large-format HoloFlekt® films and integrated into glass. The system efficiently directs the projector light into the user’s eye-box and maintains the high transparency of the screen. “Bayfol® HX films from Covestro are key to our ability to provide high-volume transparent films with light-guiding optical functions for volume holographic display solutions,” said Andy Travers, chief executive officer of Ceres.

Transparent displays with volume holographic elements are attractive not only for automotive applications, but also, for example, for applications in buses, trains, industrial vehicles, and aircraft, as well as in architectural glazing.

TomTom IndiGo Partners

TomTom, the geolocation technology specialist,  announced that industry leading companies have joined TomTom IndiGO’s ecosystem.

TomTom IndiGO – the world’s first open digital cockpit software platform – offers carmakers, system integrators, software development companies, and content providers, an open and secure environment to develop software and apps, giving carmakers choice, and drivers and passengers a delightful and safe in-vehicle experience.

By joining TomTom IndiGO’s ecosystem, vendors have a new way to bring their solutions into the cockpit. TomTom makes it easy for developers to get started with IndiGO, helping them with a comprehensive software development kit that includes powerful APIs, supporting documentation, and code examples.

“We are excited to have attracted such a strong and diverse group of early-access partners. Our partner ecosystem is growing and will continue to grow,” said Harold Goddijn, CEO at TomTom. “This is where IndiGO shines, the platform makes it easy and efficient to bring new and existing applications from different partners together in a unified user experience.”

Partnerships’ details:

ACCESS Europe GmbH

ACCESS Twine™ for Car is an automotive grade app store providing drivers and passengers with video on demand, live TV, music, radio, social, karaoke, games, news, and information services.

“I’m excited that the ACCESS Twine™ for Car in-car app store and content solution has been chosen by TomTom to be part of its innovative IndiGO digital cockpit platform.”

– Michi Uematsu, CTO, Access.

Amazon Alexa

Alexa Auto brings the Alexa experience that has delighted customers at home into the vehicle. It adds automotive-specific functionality and contextualizes the experience for the vehicle.

“TomTom IndiGO makes it easy for automakers and Tier 1s to integrate the Amazon Alexa Auto SDK into their digital cockpit software platforms.”

– Christian Mentz, Director, Alexa Automotive International.

ART S.p.A.

ART, well known as a designer and manufacturer of high-quality and high-performance automotive infotainment systems with built-in augmented reality features, has already integrated the IndiGO platform into its digital connected eCockpit.

“TomTom IndiGO is transforming digital cockpit development. The integration of the IndiGO software platform was fast and frictionless, resulting in a significant reduction in time to market. This allows us to focus on creating more value for our customers – before and after vehicle production, thanks to IndiGO’s continuous software platform updates. We look forward to working with TomTom IndiGO, the open digital cockpit software platform that has been built with developers in mind.”

– Francesco Ortix, CEO ART S.p.A.

Bosch

TomTom and Bosch share a common vision: to provide carmakers with highly scalable and customizable solutions that minimize development cost, time to market and project risk, while bringing a best-in-class cockpit experience to the customer and leaving carmakers in full control of their brand user experience. Together with Bosch, TomTom has already integrated IndiGO onto the new Bosch Cockpit Integration Platform.

Cerence

Cerence is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the mobility world. As an innovation partner to the world’s leading automakers and mobility OEMs, it is helping advance the future of connected mobility through intuitive, powerful interaction between humans and their cars, two-wheelers, and even elevators, connecting consumers’ digital lives to their daily journeys no matter where they are. Cerence’s track record is built on more than 20 years of knowledge and more than 400 million cars shipped with Cerence technology.

“IndiGO’s integration of Cerence’s industry-leading conversational AI gives automakers access to an out-of-the-box, voice-first infotainment system with language capabilities that can support drivers worldwide. We are happy to continue our decades of partnership with TomTom to deliver this latest innovation to carmakers, enabling them to delight their drivers with a game-changing user experience.”

– Stefan Ortmanns, EVP & GM, Core Products, Cerence.

Cinemo

Cinemo, a global leader in vehicle multimedia software, is expanding IndiGO with its complete, powerful, and high-quality embedded multimedia and streaming solution, serving both front and rear-seat entertainment functionality.

“With TomTom IndiGO, carmakers can provide a futureproof infotainment system built on a platform that makes app development fun, easily testable and highly efficient. At Cinemo, we focus on taking the audio and video entertainment experiences that consumers love, into the car. In an industry where seeing and hearing is believing, enabling car vendors to actually feel the digital cockpit, is fundamental. With Cinemo solutions running on IndiGO, we can do so within the context of a completely functional infotainment user experience.”

– Charly Lippoth, Director Global Infotainment Partnerships, Cinemo GmbH.

Digital Charging Solutions GmbH

Digital Charging Solutions GmbH (DCS) develops charging solutions for automobile manufacturers and fleet operators, making it one of the world’s most important drivers of the transition to electromobility. The full-service white label solutions and API solutions of DCS allow OEMs and fleet operators to realize their electromobility strategies. Integrated digital solutions make charging at charging stations easy, safe, and comfortable. With over 245.000 charging points in 30 markets Digital Charging Solutions GmbH offers the fastest-growing charging network in Europe. Digital Charging Solutions GmbH is a joint venture between BMW Group, Daimler AG and bp plc.

“We consider TomTom an important strategic partner for DCS and are excited about the potentials of a collaboration. With its extensive EMSP (e-mobility service provider) portfolio, DCS is the number 1 charging partner for OEMs and fleets and the leading EMSP with best-in-class coverage. Our integration with TomTom IndiGO aims at enabling electric vehicles with a hassle-free and convenient in-car charging experience.”

– Jörg Reimann, CEO, Digital Charging Solutions GmbH.

Faurecia Aptoide Automotive

Faurecia Aptoide Automotive believes that high-performance infotainment systems will become a major pillar of the connected cars. To bring to market a truly connected experience, we developed a dedicated App Store for the Automotive industry, which is based on Android Automotive OS (AAOS) – a built-in operating system tailored for the car environment. Through our platform, we lead and support Android App developers to be part of next-generation in-car entertainment systems, like IndiGO.

HARMAN

HARMAN Ignite Store is a leading Android-based app store that is optimized for automotive. HARMAN Ignite Store enables automakers to control and easily manage customer relationships and data, while unlocking new business models and revenue streams. With top apps from various domains available, the HARMAN Ignite Store is designed to reward and delight consumers, today and into the future.

iHeartRadio

iHeartRadio is iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital music, podcasting, on demand and live streaming radio service. They are the biggest radio broadcaster in the United States, and their platform is also available in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Mexico.

“IndiGO enables carmakers to seamlessly integrate the iHeartRadio user experience into the digital cockpit. Through one single interface, drivers can access personal playlists, podcasts, and live radio stations, ensuring a frictionless listening experience in the car.”

– John Vermeer, EVP, Digital Distribution & Platform Partnerships, iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group.

Intellias

Intellias, a supplier of software development services, seamlessly integrated a climate app allowing drivers to fully control the car’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.

“Thanks to its innovative approach and open structure, the new TomTom IndiGO platform will surely delight developers and end-users alike. IndiGO is paving the way for a new era of digital cockpits.”

– Gavriel Yadgarov, Account Director, Intellias.

Microsoft

IndiGO allows application developers to deeply integrate their services with TomTom’s location technologies which take advantage of Microsoft Azure as its underlying cloud platform, ensuring high-availability and reliability.

“TomTom has made impressive progress with its automotive solutions, including its newest IndiGO offering. We look forward to continuing our relationship with TomTom by providing Azure as the underlying cloud platform to deliver connected vehicle services.”

– Sanjay Ravi, General Manager of Automotive, Mobility and Transportation Industries at Microsoft.

Rightware

With the release of TomTom’s IndiGO software platform, we introduce a unique partnership for in-vehicle HMI development. The seamless interoperability between IndiGO and the Kanzi One toolchain for user interface creation allows car makers to combine the unique design capabilities and graphics performance of Kanzi with the power of the IndiGO software platform. The result is a delightful digital cockpit in cars incorporating Android Automotive infotainment, delivered much faster and at much lower cost than was ever possible before.

“TomTom’s IndiGO platform is a perfect complement to Kanzi One, providing a powerful automotive software platform that includes, off-the-shelf, most services and application logic components needed for automakers to build future-looking user experiences with a real signature UI for the intelligent cockpit.”

– Freddie Geier, CEO, Rightware.

KPR’s UVC Disinfection

KPR is excited to announce the launch of UVC based disinfection solutions for automotive applications.

UVC light is not naturally found on earth, as it is filtered out in the earth’s atmosphere, and hence during evolution there was no need for life on earth to invent shielding against UVC. Happily, man has created UVC light to profoundly disinfect surfaces and air from viruses, bacteria and fungi.

The KPR product utilizes UVC technology to disinfect the interiors of cars, trucks and other modes of transportation. It can be strategically placed in several areas of the interior.

The “CAR-UVC™” that KPR will bring onto the market is a visor that can be clipped onto the original visor of the car, or can be replaced with an OEM version. The CAR-UVC™ is capable of disinfecting the driver space within 10 to 20 minutes. With one push of a button the visor starts to count down a lead time, typically one minute, so that the customer can get out of the car and close it, after which the disinfection starts. This disinfection typically lasts 5 to 10 minutes disinfecting the air, seat, steering wheel and center console. The back of the headrest also has a fixture built-in so that the back side of the car interior can also be disinfected, which typically requires 5-10 minutes. The exact minimal disinfection times depend on the model of the car. An IR motion detector aborts the disinfection if a person or animal is detected in the reach of the UVC LEDs. Alternatively, a dedicated smartphone app can be used to safely start the cycle remotely when the driver is outside the car. The UV-C light is not safe for humans or animals, however, fortunately the Glass blocks UVC light and protects the area outside the car. Multiple systems can be coupled in a master-slave way to simultaneously disinfect all seats in a vehicle.

The company is targeting the following markets that can benefit from this technology:

– Personal Cars

– Company cars

– Rental fleets

– Car sharing services

– Ride sharing services

– Bus and truck companies

Iteris Supports FDOT

-Iteris, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITI), the global leader in smart mobility infrastructure management, announced that it has been awarded a $1.4 million task order from Metric Engineering to support the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for a regional smart mobility, safety and sustainability program, representing continued demand for Iteris’ specialized consulting services in Florida, a key geographic market.

FDOT’s integrated corridor management (ICM) program with Iteris supports its goals to maintain travel time reliability, reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while improving safety and mobility, and overall travel experience for all road users, including vehicles, buses, bicycles and pedestrians. By reducing delays and stops on key corridors for passenger vehicles and heavy vehicles, the project will help reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, which in turn will contribute to sustainable environmental and air quality improvements.

 Unipart Logistics has signed a five-year contract to support Jaguar Land Rover’s US expansion in the North East of the country from a new facility in Mickleton, New Jersey.

Mickleton, a flagship 280k square feet aftermarket site, is the first US dual-brand site for Jaguar Land Rover, servicing 90 retailers and the Port of Baltimore. Unipart will employ 100 people to support inbound, outbound, reverse logistics, transport management, facility management for parts, and branded goods out of the new site.

Unipart Logistics’ existing services for Jaguar Land Rover in North America include running other warehouses across the country, technical first line support, customer service, branded goods, special service orders, and retailer inventory management.