Joint move from BMW, Mercedes and VW: The game is changing for Chinese competitors!
Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz join forces in software! German engineering is now competing not only in the engine but also in line-by-line code.
According to the news from carexpert, Volkswagen Group, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which have been known to compete fiercely until now, are now arm in arm. The trio, together with Germany's automotive suppliers, have rolled up their sleeves to develop an open source software platform.
The software stack to be developed will be the “background intelligence” that manages inter-system communication, cloud services and infrastructure that the driver will not see directly. In other words, BMW’s iDrive or Mercedes’ MBUX interface will not change, but the basic structure on which these systems operate will be developed jointly. Both costs will decrease and deliveries will accelerate.
SET WITH SOFTWARE AGAINST CHINA STORMEuropean and American manufacturers were caught unprepared for the technological breakthroughs made by Chinese brands in recent years.
The aggressive pricing strategies, striking designs and user-oriented interfaces of Chinese manufacturers have reshuffled the cards in the market. Aware of this, the Germans established a software consortium, saying, “We can respond if we are united, not as competitors.”
The consortium, led by the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA), does not only include automobile brands. Major suppliers such as Bosch, Continental, Hella, ZF, Valeo Brain, ETAS, Qorix and Vector also support the project.
THE DEPARTURE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCEDAccording to plans, the first version of the developed software stack will be offered for manufacturer testing in 2026. The system will reach the end user and be integrated into vehicles in showrooms in 2030.
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