Toyota Motor has announced the launch of its own automotive software platform by 2025, which is eyed to handle everything from basic functions to advanced operations such as autonomous driving.
With the Arene operating system, Toyota joins rivals Tesla and Volkswagen, and other tech companies, in the bid to set standards for the software powering of next-generation vehicles.
After implementing Arene in its own vehicles, the carmaker will make it available to affiliates, like Subaru, together with other manufacturers and startups focusing on electric or self-driving cars. Toyota is also looking into monetising it through a licensing model.
Vehicles of all makes and models that have the OS will gain access to shared functions such as the steering wheel, brakes, and accelerator. Arene will also manage safety systems including the location and traffic information. Consumers can update the system online, allowing for fast performance improvement.
Arene will also be open to developers from different industries to push other companies to create varied applications, such as autonomous driving. It is Toyota’s vision that services from different businesses can be added to a car just as instantly as downloading apps for smartphones.
It also hopes that the OS will serve as a more effective platform for users and developers to produce data that can be used to craft new services.
Toyota finds itself in competition with automobile giants like Volkswagen, Daimler, General Motors, and Tesla, who are each developing their own operating systems. Tesla will also market its software to other companies. Meanwhile, tech players like Apple and Google are also looking to merge the smartphone business model into the auto industry.
A marked shift from auto hardware to the software that controls vehicles has been observed. US-based Lux Research sees electronics and software making up 50% of a vehicle’s cost by 2030, a 20% increase since 2000.
