Newsroom

Ask most executives what it takes to “add AI” to their business, and a familiar dread creeps in: a multi-year platform migration, a seven-figure line item, a team of consultants, and a real risk that the whole thing stalls out before it ever delivers value. That instinct isn’t paranoia — it’s pattern recognition. Digital transformation efforts fail at a stubbornly high rate, with McKinsey and BCG both putting failure rates around 70%, even as global spending on these initiatives is projected to reach $3.4 trillion in 2026.

We explore the evolution of software-defined vehicles and their role in AI-driven automotive innovation. The conversation covers how SDVs are moving from concept to real-world deployment, enabling over-the-air updates, AI-powered diagnostics, in-vehicle edge AI, and scalable connected vehicle platforms that are reshaping the future of mobility.

As vehicles become more software-defined, edge intelligence is turning E/E architecture into a strategic challenge. Alexandre Corjon of Sonatus explains how automakers can integrate Edge AI while keeping vehicle platforms scalable and maintainable.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has worked its way into nearly every stage of electric vehicle (EV) development. It shows up early, when researchers evaluate new battery materials, and it stays long after deployment, when operators manage charging infrastructure.

The global connected car market is set for strong growth over the next five years, with the number of vehicles using embedded connectivity expected to reach 583.1 million by the end of 2030, according to new research from IoT analyst firm Berg Insight.

We spoke with Sonatus CMO John Heinlein about a recent Sonatus survey on the industry’s changing views on SDVs. The following is an excerpt from an episode of SAE’s Automotive Engineering Podcast.

Ignite, the software subsidiary of supplier Forvia Hella, and Oxford Semantic Technologies, part of Samsung Electronics, have developed an artificial intelligence solution that translates traffic laws into machine-readable rules, addressing a key hurdle blocking autonomous vehicles from widespread deployment.

The next step in SDV architecture is better data access, on-board processing, and reusable software infrastructure.

Tesla just filled a gap in its lineup with a longer, three-row Model Y. The number of car buyers signing up for 84-month loans is now at a record share. Plus, Sonatus CMO John Heinlein explains where the transition to software-defined vehicles really stands and how automakers can use vehicle data to get ahead of recalls before they happen.

John Heinlein, CMO at Sonatus, joins Molly Boigon, Automotive News reporter, on the “Shift” podcast to discuss the new developments in open-source platforms for software-defined vehicles.

In this episode, we talk with Slate about its decision not to sell data to third parties and how the automaker's configuration page helped the company make a big decision about range. Plus, Sonatus shares information about how automakers are using data based on an industry survey.

For years, the limiting factor in automotive diagnostics was data — how to collect it, move it and gather enough to understand what was happening inside a vehicle.