In connected car news are Ansys, Wireless Car, indie Semi, Exascend, GlobalLogic & Mercedes-Benz.
Largest Fluent CFD Simulation by Ansys on Grace Hopper Superchips
Ansys ran the largest Fluent CFD simulation ever on NVIDIA’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, reducing run time from four weeks to six hours—a 110x speed increase. This achievement reflects Ansys’ focus on pushing the boundaries of simulation and improving efficiencies in complex engineering applications, including automotive aerodynamics and semiconductor manufacturing. The collaboration utilized 320 GH200 Superchips, outperforming traditional CPU-based setups, equivalent to 225,390 CPU cores, and offering better efficiency and scalability.
This milestone underscores the value of GPUs in handling large-scale simulations by significantly reducing time while maintaining predictive accuracy, even as more parameters are refined. Ansys’ adoption of NVIDIA’s advanced technologies also positions it to deliver real-time physics visualization, enhancing engineering insights and accelerating innovation across various sectors.
WirelessCar SaaS on AWS Marketplace
WirelessCar, a leader in connected vehicle services, has made its full range of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products available on AWS Marketplace, enabling automotive OEMs to easily access and integrate WirelessCar’s offerings for the development of connected vehicle solutions. The suite includes products such as Connected Car Essentials for scalable connectivity, Call Center Services for customer support, and Smart EV Routing for optimized navigation and charging guidance for electric vehicles. Other offerings cover digital key management, fleet essentials, and subscription management.
The modular SaaS solutions are designed to streamline integration, offer 24/7 service, and support lifecycle management across various telematics systems. WirelessCar also offers Professional Services through AWS Marketplace, providing technical expertise and support for connected mobility solutions. CTO Tomas Carlfalk highlighted this milestone as a step towards enhancing collaboration with industry leaders, accelerating innovation, and ensuring scalability and security in connected vehicle technologies.
inde Semi Expands Optical Componets
indie Semiconductor has expanded its photonics capabilities by adding in-house integration, packaging, and system testing to support its optical component portfolio, strengthened by the acquisitions of TeraXion and EXALOS. This allows indie to offer complete photonics sub-systems for rapid solution evaluation, validation, and low-volume production, serving automotive applications like ADAS sensing, head-up displays, and more.
The market for automotive optical components, valued at $6.5 billion in 2023, is projected to grow to $9.2 billion by 2030, per S&P Global Mobility. By integrating optical components into photonic sub-systems, indie offers system integrators and OEMs faster deployment with enhanced reliability and streamlined logistics. Executive VP Mathieu Drolet emphasized how indie’s turnkey solutions address customer needs for integration and supply chain simplification, accelerating time-to-market for commercial applications. Initial production solutions are set for release in early 2025.
Cert for Exascend HSBGA SSD
Exascend has announced the AEC-Q100 certification of its AS500 series automotive-grade HSBGA SSD, designed for connected and autonomous vehicles, aerospace, and edge applications. Operating across automotive-grade temperatures (-40°C to +105°C), the ultra-compact 16mm x 20mm BGA SSD offers up to 1TB storage capacity, balancing space constraints with performance needs.
Featuring PCIe Gen 4×4 and NVMe 1.4, the AS500 series achieves read/write speeds of up to 5GB/s and 1.6GB/s, tailored for data-intensive automotive and AI workloads. Its SR-IOV virtualization allows efficient resource allocation for up to four virtual machines, enhancing AI and ADAS performance. Exascend’s Adaptive Thermal Control™ (ATC) ensures stable performance under heat stress, extending device lifespan.
Security is bolstered with TCG Opal 2.0 encryption, and an energy-efficient, thermally optimized design keeps power consumption under 2.5W. The AS500 series offers firmware customization for specialized needs, rugged form factors for challenging conditions, and broad applicability in automotive, aerospace, and embedded systems.
GlobalLogic Achieves AWS Automotive Services Competency
GlobalLogic Inc., a Hitachi Group Company specializing in digital engineering, has earned the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Automotive Services Competency. This distinction places GlobalLogic among an exclusive group of 27 global partners recognized for their expertise in software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and automotive product engineering.
The AWS Automotive Services Competency acknowledges partners with a track record of technical proficiency and successful customer solutions in areas like connected mobility, autonomous vehicles, and digital customer experiences. GlobalLogic’s achievement underscores its ability to meet AWS’s rigorous standards and its role in helping original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) adopt SDV architectures, extend vehicle lifespans, and generate revenue throughout vehicle lifecycles.
GlobalLogic partners with leading mobility companies, offering advanced solutions powered by AI, IoT, and Big Data. A notable client praised the company for its contribution to launching an integrated navigation system that enhanced the digital cockpit experience.
“Our recognition reflects GlobalLogic’s capacity to deliver SDV solutions by leveraging AWS to create virtual infrastructure for software development and deployment,” said Ramki Krishna, Group VP at GlobalLogic. “This helps clients accelerate time-to-market, lower costs, and offer differentiated mobility experiences.”
The AWS Competency Partner Program highlights partners who enable automotive companies to drive transformation through cloud-based capabilities and industry expertise, focusing on workflows like SDVs, manufacturing, and sustainability.
Mercedes-Benz Brings Vehicle Control to Apple Watch for a Seamless Digital Experience
Mercedes-Benz has expanded its digital offerings by introducing popular Mercedes-Benz App features to the Apple Watch, responding to customer demand for greater convenience. With this update, vehicle owners can interact with their cars directly from their Apple Watch, eliminating the need to use a smartphone.
Key features include checking vehicle range, battery or fuel levels, locking and unlocking the vehicle remotely, pinpointing its location, and verifying whether windows are properly closed after exiting. The app also offers navigation to parking locations and a compass mode for guidance in areas without mapping support.
The features are now available in Europe, with rollout to the United States, China, and Asia-Pacific markets planned soon. Users must have a Mercedes me account and an updated version of the Mercedes-Benz App on their smartphone. The app is compatible with Apple Watch running WatchOS 9 or later.