Siili Auto joined COVESA (Connected Vehicle System Alliance) last autumn. Given the company’s reputation as a professional service provider specializing in in-car HMIs, we see COVESA as an important industry organization that can help us stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements with respect to the in-vehicle connected vehicle experience.
We participated in the COVESA All-Member Meeting that took place in Porto, Portugal from April 25-27, 2023. This was a great opportunity to connect and discuss/share ideas with other industry professionals, and the meeting featured a wide range of informative sessions, panel discussions, and workshops that spanned a variety of topics including:
· Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS)
· In-car payments
· EV charging and power optimization challenges
· The future in-vehicle experience
We believe the VSS project and its adoption for in-car use cases, in particular, is very important for the industry. Based on our experience helping various OEMs design and implement HMIs, we know the underlying middleware software layers and data models vary; if different OEMSs were to share at least the same vehicle data model, design and implementation projects would become much more efficient. We are happy to see that VSS has gained a lot of momentum and real-life adoption in various use cases. Especially interesting to us is in-vehicle usage related to VSS development—AUTOSAR and COVESA collaboration, for example—as well as work how to utilize VSS in an Android Automotive environment. We are also seeking out opportunities to join and contribute to projects surrounding VSS adoption.
In the in-vehicle app store marketplace, Google with GAS services is already key player. However, many OEMs would prefer an independent alternative. One interesting new COVESA project targets the joint creation of a common white-label app store for AOSP adopters. Particularly in this type of ecosystem, it’s crucial to foster collaboration for these initiatives among different industry players through COVESA. A simple, easy, and intuitive user experience is vital with respect to in-car app stores: especially while driving.
The Ford team executed a real-life EV charging challenge experiment by driving with Ford E-Mach from Cologne to Porto. Their presentation brought up interesting EV driver emotions including “range anxiety”: fear surrounding whether or not one has enough range to reach his/her destination or next charging station. Upon approaching the charging station, “charge rage” may then appear: fear surrounding the availability of free charging spots. Reliable information and its presentation in HMI is one key element to ease these stressful emotions that may distract a driver.
Stellantis recently joined COVESA and is driving forward the in-vehicle experience working group and project. The company presentation at AMM was very inspirational, and the RAM Revolution concept car already provides a glimpse into what the future may bring. We are eagerly looking forward to working together and contributing to in-vehicle experience work.
Overall, the COVESA All-Member Meeting was a valuable experience for us: providing insight into ongoing COVESA projects and current project practices. We anxiously anticipate working more closely with members of the COVESA community and using our expertise to contribute to this important industry alliance.
