Hyundai Motor Group announced a new global strategy to transform all vehicles into Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) by 2025, according to Hyundai.
The industry-leading initiative will deliver a new era of mobility. It will give customers the freedom to upgrade the performance and functionality of their vehicles anywhere at any time. It was presented during the Group’s Unlock the Software Age global online forum.
Furthermore, according to Electrek, it will be able to stay updated via over-the-air updates. The company committed 18 trillion won ($12.5 billion) to establish a new Global Software Center and accelerate SDV development by 2030.
Hyundai also shared plans to transform customer experience throughout the vehicle’s entire lifespan and deliver a new era via constantly evolving software technology.
The company ensures all models, including the ones already bought, remain up to date. This will enable functions such as safety, convenience, connectivity, security, and driving performance. It will be upgraded via Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates. The South Korean automaker looks forward to equipping vehicles to receive OTA software updates by 2025.
Few automakers like Tesla and NIO are also the ones who were able to update over the air, increasing performance through internet connectivity.
HMG expects 20 million Software Defined Vehicles to be registered by 2025
According to its website, it expects 20 million vehicles to be registered to its connected car service worldwide by 2025. All new vehicles from 2023 onward will be equipped with OTA capabilities.
“By transforming all vehicles to Software Defined Vehicles by 2025, Hyundai Motor Group will completely redefine the concept of the automobile and take the lead in ushering in a never-before-experienced era of mobility,” said Chung Kook Park, President and Head of the R&D Division, Hyundai Motor Group. “Creating visionary vehicles empowered with the ability to evolve through software will enable customers to keep their vehicles up to date with the latest features and technology long after they have left the factory.”
In addition to upgrading the performance and functionality of a vehicle anywhere at any time, Hyundai drivers will also be able to use Feature On-Demand (FoD) services next year. This will allow customers to customize their vehicles according to their needs. HMG plans to gather data from the 20 million connected vehicles and use it to develop personalization services further.
Hyundai Group’s five levels of the ‘software house,’ which are the foundation of the new era in mobility, are vehicle platform, electrical/electronics architecture, software platform, data platform, and future of mobility.
By the beginning of 2025, Hyundai will introduce two new EV platforms, eM and eS, built upon the Integrated Modular Architecture. The eM will deliver 50% more range on a single charge. While the eS platform is a traditional ‘skateboard’ design, offering modular solutions to logistics and rideshare businesses and last-mile deliveries.
“Hyundai Motor Group’s data platform will not only be simply for driving. It will also play an important role in enhancing the convenience and diversity of the customer’s mobility experience by engaging throughout the vehicle’s entire life cycle. Going forward, we’ll also help create a new mobility ecosystem, connecting cars with other mobility devices based on data connectivity and scalability.” Eunsook Jin, executive vice president and head of the ICT innovation division at HMG, explained.
Another factor will be the Connected Car Operating System (ccOS). It will be applied to the controllers to maximize hardware performance by computing power. Hyundai shared it is currently collaborating with NVIDIA to load an optimized ccOS onto an NVIDIA DRIVE semiconductor. Whether NVIDIA collaborates on Hyundai’s third-generation integrated controller, the company says it will be the basis for expanding to mass-producing Level 3 autonomous EVs and commercializing Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving capabilities ‘in due course.
“As the Group embarks on a new challenge to transform mobility and meet the needs of customers in the future, it will also continue to develop its award-winning models to meet the needs of customers today. The appeal of the Group’s customer offerings has been consistently affirmed, as demonstrated recently by the range of awards bestowed on EV models from the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands by critics and media across the globe. Already today, the Group’s cutting-edge SDV technologies, such as Infotainment, Connectivity and ADAS are proving highly popular with customers, and as the technology rapidly develops further, a whole new world of possibilities will open up. This will pace the Group at the forefront of providing entirely new mobility solutions as society changes, transportation means evolve, and software-defined vehicles become commonplace.” Per the release.
To achieve all of these goals and to successfully transform the entire lineup of Software Defined Vehicles, Hyundai will be building a Global Software Center by 2030. A portion of $12.5 billion will be spent there and go toward other sectors like R&D headquarters.
Today, Hyundai is on the path to embark on a challenge to transform mobility and provide entirely new mobility solutions.
