FIGHTING over the WHEEL
Toyota, Ford may team up to fend off Silicon Valley
In a signal that some automakers aren’t prepared to cede control of their dashboards to Silicon Valley, Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are looking at collaborating on in-vehicle software that would compete directly with Apple Inc. and Google Inc.
Toyota announced Wednesday that it is “exploring” the use of SmartDeviceLink — an open-source version of Ford’s AppLink software — in future Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
SmartDeviceLink, or SDL, is an interface that allows for the integration of smartphone apps into vehicle dashboards, just like Apple’s CarPlay or Google’s Android Auto. Ford an- nounced that it would open-source the platform two years ago in the hope that other automakers would get on board and create a customizable alternative to the tech giants’ growing presence in the vehicle software market.
“Toyota adopting it is very significant because it validates the approach that Ford took, and it could help Ford and Toyota maintain control over the app ecosystem and the experience,” Mark Boyadjis, senior automotive technology analyst at IHS, said in an interview.
“Having two major global automakers like Ford and Toyota working with an open-source platform like SDL makes it more attractive to the app developers … all the while keeping Google and Apple out of the picture somewhat.”
Other automakers, however, are taking a different tack. General Motors Co. announced last week that 14 Chevrolet models will be compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay beginning in the 2016 model year, while HyundaiMotorCo.’ s 2015 Sonata recently became the first vehicle to offer Android Auto.
Boyadjis said there’s a way for automakers to collaborate with Apple and Google on in-vehicle software, but he cautioned against giving them too much control over the user experience — especially now that Google is developing its own self-driving car, and there’s also speculation Apple is developing a vehicle.
“These two companies aren’t just going to stop at CarPlay and Android Auto,” he said. “It’s that Trojan Horse element. They’re going to try to get involved in the industry and create stickiness with the user so that people associate Apple and Google with their car, and then try and expand on top of that.”
In particular, Boyadjis said the automakers shouldn’t share vehicle information like acceleration, oil life or performance data with the tech giants. “If the carmakers agree to supply Apple and Google with vehicle data, their story is almost over,” he said.
“At that point, if Apple and Google can do the same thing in a Ford as they can in a Toyota as they can in a Chevy as they can in a BMW, what differentiates them? The carmakers will lose control over their product.”
But not everyone is worried about Silicon Valley’s growing presence in Detroit’s backyard. For BlackBerryLtd. unit QNX Software Systems — which develops operating systems that underpin in-vehicle technology — any expansion of dashboard software is good news.
“It’s impacting us in a very positive way,” QNX’s Andrew Poliak said from the TU-Automotive Detroit connected-car show. “Now you’re seeing a requirement for very low-end or entry-level vehicles to have a full-fledged operating system, and that is growing our market share dramatically.”