Honda has partnered with Applied Intuition to develop a consolidated, upgradable software-defined vehicle platform that will use Applied Intuition’s vehicle operating system software and development tooling as its foundation.
The software-defined vehicle (SDV) platform is intended to provide a single software architecture spanning electric, hybrid and internal combustion vehicles. According to Applied Intuition, its Vehicle OS software will achieve this by abstracting differences between powertrains and unifying legacy and modern software workflows.
Applied Intuition says the approach aims to shorten development timelines, increase software reusability and allow vehicles to evolve over time without fundamental changes to the underlying platform. The companies state that an SDV platform built at Honda’s scale must support millions of vehicles while upholding the quality and reliability standards of the automaker.
The partnership brings together engineering teams in Japan and Silicon Valley, combining the vehicle engineering expertise of Honda with the software and artificial intelligence (AI) technology of Applied Intuition. The companies aim to accelerate the transition of Honda to AI-powered software development.
Mahito Shikama, chief officer of corporate strategy operations at Honda Motor Co, said of the programme, “In the latest generation of vehicles, software is becoming increasingly important. We believe software-defined vehicles will shape the future of the automotive industry and speed of software development will be one of the key competitive advantages for Honda’s vehicles.”
According to Applied Intuition, established automakers are facing growing pressure from software-native entrants that are reducing software iteration timelines and placing greater emphasis on faster development. The company says this pressure is particularly felt by Japanese automakers, which are contending with lengthy, expensive development cycles and deep supply-chain dependencies.
Applied Intuition describes software as an increasingly enduring differentiator in the automotive industry, enabling vehicles to continuously improve and adapt to customer needs over time.
The agreement extends a relationship between the two companies that began in 2019, when Honda became the first automaker customer for Applied Intuition in Japan.
