As the automotive industry continues to evolve, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: software is king. With companies like Apple and Android entering the industry with their own car operating systems, other automakers are facing intense competition in the area. But if there’s one thing that General Motors knows how to do, it’s innovation, and they are definitely about to serve it. This is how the company is planning to win the car software game. They’re creating a new, very advanced car software that combines the best of many features, such as safety and entertainment. This software will give drivers a very special driving experience that is not available yet from other companies.
The New Car Software by General Motors
The new software game launched by GM will be available in Blazer EV, 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, and Equinox EV. The company has made sure that the system does not feature Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. General Motors has decided to use the uProtocol by shaking hands with Eclipse Foundation, to set new standards for the entire industry. Frank Ghenassia, executive chief architect of software-defined vehicles at GM, said that joining the Eclipse Foundation is a milestone and a call for other automotive players to build a community for sharing software to improve productivity while still differentiating vehicles. Additionally, you are now going to get them pre-installed in your vehicle.
Can the New GM Car Software Beat Apple and Android
Over the years, people have adapted to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The decision of General Motors to introduce a completely new setup that people will have to understand from scratch is a bit confusing for many car drivers. People have doubts and questions if installing a new system will be a good decision. However, the company believes that introducing the uProtocol to the industry might just be the next step that the market needs. They have complete trust in their software developers and engineers and are sure that their car software can beat the current reigning champs.
Will The Industry Accept the Standards?
Eclipse Foundation has tie-ups with not only General Motors, but other brands too, such as COVESA, AUTOSAR, and SOAFEE, and all of them share the same interests and goals. However, there are a few brands that are not happy with introducing new software. During a panel discussion on Moving Towards a Software Defined Vehicle, Stellantis and Ford showed their disinterest and concerns about the matter.
Toyota’s New Solid-State Battery Prototype – a True EV Game Changer?
Imagine having an electric car battery that provides more than 300 miles of range, requires no bulky heating and cooling systems, charges in approximately ten minutes, maintains 80 percent of its charge capacity for 800 cycles, which is about 240,000 miles, and it’s not prone to spontaneous combustion. It’s a promise of the new solid-state car battery, which is considered the holy grail that manufacturers and automakers are racing to find. Now, Toyota announced that it would have a running prototype with this type of battery ready by 2021.
Toyota’s New Solid-State Battery Implementation
The implications of this new technology should be considered. Charge times and range are the biggest barriers to EV adoption. While a ten-minute charge is still quite longer than it takes to fill a gas tank with fuel, it’s a lot better than having to make lunch plans while the vehicle recharges. It’s a fast-charging compact battery that could be the EV equivalent of the electric starter because it will allow battery-powered electric vehicles to conquer internal-combustion power once and for all.
Toyota is not the only company in this race. It’s not the only company making headlines, either. Recently, a California company called QuantumScape announced great and promising test results for its solid-state battery. The announcement that Toyota made about its upcoming Euro-market electric SUV included the note that they planned on having solid-state battery technology in their production of vehicles by 2025.
A Solid-State Partnership!
Toyota, which has a great partnership with Panasonic, currently has more than a thousand patents that cover solid-state batteries. However, Nissan is working on its solid-state battery. It claims that it will appear in a “non-simulation” vehicle by 2028. Toyota currently does not offer any vehicle that runs on battery in the United States and hasn’t offered one since the 2012-2014 RAV4 EV. However, they are about to launch an update of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered Mirai.
The race to develop a solid-state battery for electric vehicles is on, and if Toyota plans to manufacture a running prototype in 2021, we will be looking at the prevailing automotive technology of the future at some point next year.