Android Automotive grows into the car’s brain with software-defined vehicle ambitions

Google unveiled a new open version of Android Automotive that expands beyond the car’s infotainment system to control non-safety internal components, aiming to reduce fragmentation by becoming the standard software layer for software-defined vehicles. The update promises a more cohesive in-car experience, faster over-the-air updates, smarter voice assistants, and proactive maintenance alerts, with automakers gaining a common foundational codebase for features like climate control, cabin management, digital keys, and personalized driver profiles. Renault Group and Qualcomm are already involved, and Google faces competition from Apple’s CarPlay Ultra.