Hyundai Motor Group has stated the auto industry is moving to a Software Age, what is Hyundai's software age?

Transforming the customer experience and delivering an unprecedented era of mobility via constantly evolving software technology is what Hyundai Motor Group has labeled their SDV global platform. It started with the following:

•  Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates for all models by 2025 will offer enhanced performance and functionality anytime, anywhere across all global markets, to keep all models up to date
• 20 million vehicles expected to be registered to the Group’s Connected Car Services (CCS) worldwide by 2025 
• Industry-leading, internally developed Connected Car Operating System (ccOS) will offer customers personalized services and process data at blazing speeds
• Data-based platform partnerships with industry sectors such as logistics, accommodation, leisure, and entertainment will create an open ecosystem and deliver a paradigm shift in mobility
• Constantly upgradeable software will provide diverse, stable revenue streams while offering fresh functionality and features to keep customers’ vehicles up to date
  • Platform standardization will cut costs and development time to enhance profitability
• Combining hardware and software technologies will significantly strengthen the Group’s capabilities and consolidate its lead in defining the future of global mobility
  • New Global Software Center to develop software-defined mobility devices and solutions, surpassing the vehicle market to enter the mobility and logistics market
  • 18 trillion won ($12.6 Billion Dollars) investment by 2030 in Global Software Center and R&D HQ to bolster software capabilities for SDV development 

The above stated information is what Hyundai Motor Group believes will deliver the following:

The goal here is to deliver an unprecedented era of mobility, giving customers the freedom to remotely upgrade the performance and functionality of their vehicle anywhere at any time. The next-generation EV platform with integrated controller and internally developed connected car operating system will allow all of the Hyundai Motor Groups (Hyundai, KIA, Genesis) to be equipped to receive OTA software updates by 2025.

Hyundai Motor Groups stated that connected car data will network with future group mobility solutions, including Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs), Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), robotaxis and robots. By establishing a new data platform, innovative services will be provided through connecting and processing the various data generated throughout the car life cycle, as well as promoting the creation of an open ecosystem in partnership with diverse industries such as logistics and accommodation.

This brings us to what Hyundai Motor Group calls their Software house.

Chung Kook Park, President and Head of R&D division, Hyundai Motor Group had the following to say: “By transforming all vehicles to Software Defined Vehicles by 2025, Hyundai Motor Group will completely redefine the concept of the automobile and take the lead in ushering in a never-before-experienced era of mobility,” “Creating visionary vehicles empowered with the ability to evolve through software will enable customers to keep their vehicles up to date with the latest features and technology long after they have left the factory.”

Hyundai Motor Group made the following very clear, this transformation will not only apply to EVs, but ICE vehicles globally. All current models and future models will be moved by 2025 to OTA using software defined operating system. 

Initially a select group of autos were given CCS or Connected Car Services where the owners could purchase select upgrades and receive them OTA. This allowed where possible customers to purchase performance and functionality upgrades to their autos.

Beginning in 2023 FoD (Feature on Demand) will be an active service. This will give customers the ability to select and purchase functions and features that meet their needs and tastes, and the freedom to create vehicles that best match their lifestyles. CCS will continue to monitor and adjust customized services and functions that can enhance individual customer requirements.

Hyundai has chosen to accelerate SDV transformation by moving to next-generation platforms early. The following was stated about this transformation: 

The Group plans to significantly reduce the time required for all mass-production processes, including planning, design, and manufacturing, by developing a shared hardware and software platform for vehicles. This will enable vehicle components to be shared across different vehicle segments, leading to more efficient vehicle development and greater cost reductions. Reducing vehicle complexity will further enhance the effectiveness of SDV technology.

 Constantly upgradeable vehicle software will bolster Hyundai Motor Group’s ability to secure diverse and stable revenue streams by providing fresh vehicle features and functionality and leveraging selected data to offer personalized services for each customer. The Group’s profitability will also be improved by shortening vehicle development time and reducing costs through platform standardization.

The end result is that Hyundai Motor Group is moving all vehicles to their Integrated Modular Architecture system. This will have two new EV platforms, eM and eS.  What is the difference in these two platforms is stated as follows:

• eM platform is being developed specifically for EVs across all segments and will provide a 50 percent improvement in driving range on a single charge compared to current EVs. The eM platform is also being developed to support Level 3 or higher autonomous driving technology and OTA software update features.
• eS platform will be developed as an EV ‘skateboard’ exclusively for Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs), with a fully flexible structure to meet B2B demands, and provide tailor-made solutions for companies operating in the delivery, logistics, and car-hailing sectors.

As has been seen in the auto industry, today's autos tend to have separately developed controller systems that require an update to be applied for each area that has needed changes such as Transmission, Engine, onboard electronics in the interior, etc. This requires multiple groups all working in their own isolation to improve and push out updates.

Hyundai Motor Group has their ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and infotainment that is building one massive software system tied to an integrated controller system that allows both the powertrain, infotainment and comfort and driving controls to be fully integrated, allowing for a single update that can be applied where needed.

Hyung Ki Ahn, VP of Electronics Development Group had the following to say: “The electrical and electronic architecture can be thought of as an organically connected structure that improves the function of a vehicle’s electrical device components,” “To develop the growing number of electrical components with systematic efficiency, Hyundai Motor Group chose to implement ‘Domain centralized architecture,’ which structures groups and integrates controllers throughout the vehicle into four areas, Comfort, Driving, Infotainment, and ADAS. As this architecture significantly reduces development complexity and enables software updates to be carried out effortlessly without any requirement to manually modify the controller, it is ideal for presenting a variety of vehicle segments, and region-specific models tailored for different countries. It also enables us to respond flexibly to what consumers want in this fast-changing market.”

The Connected Car Operating Systems (ccOS) is being currently tested on the NVIDIA DRIVE platform that will be used in the new platforms for eM and eS. This ultra-highspeed system will allow a far higher performing and reliable ICE and EV autos. The system was designed with NVIDIA working with the auto industry taking into account the vast amounts of data that is collected and needs to analyze and responded to by technology that is incorporated into the system such as sensors within the cameras, radars, LiDARs mounted on the vehicles, etc. 

The Genesis G90 will get Hyundai Motor Groups First Level 3 Advanced Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) autonomous driving system and updates will allow it to have Remote Parking Pilot (RPP). The software group is continuing to develop in hopes of having a Level 4 and Level 5 system in the near future.

Hyundai Motor Group has 250,000 employees worldwide and is hiring additional engineers in all fields from software development to hardware development to build out the rapidly developing technology in the revolution of the auto industry.

One could say where ICE or Internal Combustion Engine autos took 125 plus years to develop to what we have today in 2022, EVs or electric vehicles will see it in just a few decades.