Toyota plans to have new OS in cars by 2025
System would then roll out to Subaru, others
A new report says that Toyota is bringing its own operating system to market to allow autonomous driving. Nikkei reports that the new OS could be ready to bring that tech to vehicles by 2025.
The software package is called the Arene operating system, says Nikkei, reporting that this will power the next generation of the automaker’s vehicles and help it join other autonomous driving rivals. The report says that the system will be put in Toyota vehicles by 2025 and then will be made available to Toyota partners like Subaru as well as other automakers and self-driving startups, with the automaker considering offering it with a licensing system.
The system will control basic parts of the vehicle, like steering, brakes, and acceleration, and will also need to manage safety systems, location, and traffic information. The report says that it will offer over-the-air updates as well as shared functions.
Key to development of the tech, Nikkei says engineers will be able to develop for the OS without waiting for new hardware, while cloud integration will let multiple teams work on the project in parallel and remote.
To help work on the increasing amount of software in a vehicle, the report says Toyota is looking at boosting the share of its engineering new hires from about 20 percent software specialists to 40-50 percent. Expect that to come with big new budgets.
