A platform team has a model that predicts failures in a truck's aftertreatment (emissions-control) system weeks before they happen. The engineering question is settled. The platform question isn't: where does this model run? If it fits on the gateway or telematics controller already in the truck, it can ship on current programs. If it needs a more capable controller, it waits for the next electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture, and it never reaches the trucks already on the road.

A heavy-duty truck comes into a dealer with an intermittent fault code. The technician replaces the most likely component, clears the code, and sends the truck back out. Three weeks later, it returns with the same code. Then it happens again. On the fourth visit, someone finds the real cause: a chafed wiring harness two modules away from where the code pointed. Across those visits, the fleet lost the truck for most of a week. The OEM paid for three parts that weren't broken and three rounds of warranty labor, and it took a hit to a relationship it will need at the next fleet renewal.

Commercial fleets operate in demanding environments, balancing regulatory requirements, vehicle maintenance, and integration with fleet management solutions. Electrification now presents additional challenges, including real-time battery insights and energy optimization, all supported by robust and secure over-the-air updates.

Now that the dust has settled from the 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, there was tremendous conversation surrounding hydrogen fuel cells, electric vehicles (EVs), and charging stations. However, ACT Expo also highlighted an important trend: the era of software-defined…