ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - July 2023 - 19

Software
The software-defined vehicle ecosystem as envisioned by Renault and Tier 1 supplier Valeo, which in May 2023 agreed to collaborate on
software development.
wholly owned subsidiary of global supplier Continental,
Anhalt maintained that the bulk of vehicle software is
non-differentiating. " We estimate that approximately
60% of the software that is in the car is something
that you're not seeing - you as an end-user, " she said.
" You're not seeing and you're not experiencing it. "
Anhalt was one of the participants in a panel
session titled " Moving Towards a Software-Defined
Vehicle " at late-April's SAE International 2023 WCX
conference in Detroit. The speakers noted a variety
of chicanes in the SDV race. Software-development
problems aren't related merely to disrupting longstanding
engineering routines. Some are based in
human nature: few people genuinely embrace change.
Before the auto sector can adapt from the century
plus of its established product-development methods
- a process all on the panel agreed must happen
to effectively create SDVs - those in charge of the
transformation must step up to foster the systemic
change. " We have to change people first, " said Matt
Jones, Ford's executive director - tech strategy + R&A.
The big teams that historically have been engaged in
vehicle development generally don't work, he said, in
the context of software design and deployment.
" The hardest thing in the world to do is change
human behavior, " added Stephen Rober, vice-president
and head of advanced technology at Stellantis. He said
the traditional " top-down " style of automotive development
needs to change to bring the agility required
for engineering for a software-centric future. A little
more humility won't hurt, either, he added. " Everybody
needs to understand the don't know everything. "
Partner approach
The conference session's panel was in virtual agreement
regarding another point of required product-development
change: automotive OEMs and suppliers must
embrace a partner mindset to replace the traditional relationship
that has for decades been in place between automotive
OEMs and the suppliers of auto-centric components.
" I avoid the word 'supplier' - I prefer the term
'vendor,' said Elektrobit's Anhalt during the discussion.
Anhalt said the auto sector needs to increasingly
view the software-development relationship as one
of " mutual cooperation " and that " the Tier model is
evolving. " Anhalt and Stellantis' Rober said that development
of " base " or foundational software is what
most benefits from collaborative relationships; think
of that 60% of " non-differentiating " software Anhalt
mentioned. Following that, brand- or company-specific
ADAS & AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ENGINEERING
July 2023 19
Valeo

ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - July 2023

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