The Future of Commercial Vehicles is Software-Defined

00:00 Overview

SANJAY: Hello and welcome to another episode of Driving Innovation, the podcast that explores technologies and solutions enabling the transition to software-defined vehicles. My name is Sanjay Khatri, Head of Product Marketing here at Sonatus.

SANJAY: The evolution towards a software-defined future is not just for passenger cars. The commercial vehicle industry also stands to benefit tremendously from this shift, as we discussed in our latest white paper, which you can download from sonatus.com. So, let me walk you through the highlights of this paper.

00:41 Setting the Stage

SANJAY: To kick things off, let’s discuss where we are today. The commercial vehicle market is undergoing a significant transformation. New regulations are pushing for electrification and the rapid growth of e-commerce, on-demand services, and a whole host of new last and middle mile logistics applications is propelling the industry forward at a breakneck speed. As a result, demand for light and medium-duty commercial vehicles is projected to grow by approximately 10% every year for the next five years. Capitalizing on this boom will require manufacturers to build vehicles that are not just fixed-purpose mechanical machines. For instance, think about the needs of different service segments. A delivery van might need a climate-controlled area for perishable goods. At the same time, a passenger shuttle requires enhanced safety and comfort features. The need for a highly adaptive vehicle solution doesn’t end at the production line. Fleet customers demand flexible access to vehicle data to achieve predictive maintenance, driver safety, and performance tailored to meet their individual business outcomes. This growing complexity means traditional single-purpose vehicle designs and services can’t keep up. Commercial vehicle makers must architect their vehicles as software-driven platforms that can adapt quickly and cost-effectively to diverse customer and fleet needs.

02:12 Three Key Ingredients

SANJAY: Now, let’s break down the three key ingredients that can drive the software revolution in commercial vehicles. First, software-configurable vehicle networks. Building common platforms that can be quickly configured in the same production line to support different transportation and logistics, starts with flexible and software-configurable vehicle networks. Ethernet and IP-based network technologies allowed for rapid adaptation of the vehicle E/E architecture to support an ever-increasing menu of sensors, actuators, and aftermarket devices, thus enabling the same platform to deliver groceries or carry passengers. Second, modular applications and services. Vehicle designs must allow for diverse in-vehicle features and applications on common platforms, from cargo monitoring apps on the digital cockpit display to personalized driver comfort and safety features. OEMs can offer tailored functionalities that meet specific customer needs even after the vehicle is sold by leveraging service-oriented architectures, microservices, and low or even no-code software orchestration for customizing vehicle capabilities. Fleet operators commonly upfit their vehicles with mission-specific sensors, actuators, and electronics. A flexible network and modular software architecture will make such additions more seamlessly integrated with the vehicle. And third, dynamic data management and collection. Today’s vehicles generate an incredible amount of data from various sensors and systems. Data that can be harnessed for real-time diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and performance tuning. However, many current OEM fleet telematics solutions lack the flexibility to deliver tailored, actionable insights that meet individual fleet’s or customer segment’s unique needs. A small fleet owner may want to track daily vehicle usage and fuel consumption. In contrast, a national logistics service provider may wish to detect irregular RPM occurrences to predict potential engine failures. Catering to various fleet management needs will require OEMs to adopt a dynamic data management strategy that provides granular, event-driven, and highly configurable access to vehicle data.

04:31 Conclusion

SANJAY: And there you have it. These three elements are among the essential ingredients of the software infrastructure that allow manufacturers to create adaptable, cost-effective vehicle platforms to address the growth and diversity of new transportation and logistics applications. They also enable OEMs to gain a more significant share of the after-sales digital services revenue for fleet operations. For a more detailed look at these trends and technologies, download our latest white paper from sonatus.com. Thank you for tuning in and we look forward to continuing the conversation on how SDV technology is driving the future of passenger and commercial mobility.