Dive Brief:

• Stellantis and vehicle intelligence company Applied Intuition announced a multi-year collaboration to deploy its vehicle infotainment platform and new “Cabin Intelligence” software across the automaker’s global portfolio, according to an Oct. 21 press release.
• Applied Intuition’s Cabin Intelligence software and tooling platform allows OEMs to create customizable infotainment and in-vehicle experiences. It can learn a driver’s habits and anticipate their future needs to deliver a premium experience, according to the company.
• “Our solution removes the tradeoff between affordability and flexibility, giving Stellantis the ability to deliver infotainment experiences at scale that are customized brand by brand, region by region, across one of the most diverse portfolios in the world,” said Applied Intuition CEO and co-founder Qasar Younis, in the release.

Dive Insight:

Stellantis’ multi-year collaboration with Applied Intuition is another example of an OEM tapping the expertise of industry partners to develop new software-based vehicle features. The company aims to deliver the best possible human machine interface (HMI) experience to OEMs with its Cabin Intelligence software.

“Drivers now expect their cars to understand them—how they move, how they feel—and adapt in real time to their lives,” said Younis.

According to Applied Intuition, automakers are challened with vehicle infotainment systems that are either too expensive or outdated by the time a new vehicle debuts. Other potential hurdles may include the technology not being customizable across an automaker’s model lineup and the growing number of drivers seeking vehicles to be more like their smartphones.

“Every cabin experience for our 14 brands has to be different—and also better than what your phone offers,” said Stellantis CTO Ned Curic, in the release. 

Applied Intuition's vehicle infotainment platform serves as a “white-box approach” for Stellantis, allowing the automaker to customize the look and feel of each of its vehicle brands without having to rewrite entire systems from scratch. The company offers a software development kit for OEMs, allowing engineers to tailor infotainment screen interface layouts, applications, navigation stacks, and brand-specific content for any model across global regions. 

In addition, the platform supports over-the-air updates, local compliance and flexible navigation sources for global deployment with reduced costs and complexity, the company says. It also integrates with advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) features, including integrated ADAS visualization for drivers and safety-critical alert systems to help increase safety.

Applied Intuition was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company is valued at $15 billion following its latest Series F funding round in June. To date, Applied Intuition has worked with 18 of the top 20 global automakers to deliver vehicle intelligence features, according to the release.