Latest news with #AudiQ6E-tron
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
VW's troubled Cariad software unit has turned the corner, CEO Peter Bosch says
BERLIN — Volkswagen Group's troubled software division, Cariad, has put its problems behind it, CEO Peter Bosch told Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche. Bosch said the unit has entered a new phase of delivery and focus, marked by a string of key software launches and a break from past missteps. 'When you take on a task that everyone knows is difficult, you don't do it expecting constant applause,' Bosch said. 'But we delivered. The cars are here, costs have been significantly reduced, and we have broken new technological ground.' Cariad was launched in 2020 with ambitions to become the 'second SAP,' a multinational German software company, but it soon became a symbol of delay and dysfunction within VW Group. VW Group CEO Oliver Blume moved Bosch from his job as production chief at Bentley to Cariad, tasking him with fixing the division that was hit by overspending and delays in developing advanced software. Cariad's problems delayed the launches of Porsche's full-electric Macan and the Audi Q6 E-tron. A new software platform intended to enable Level 4 autonomous driving was pushed back to the end of the decade. Sign up for the Automotive News Europe Segment Analysis newsletter, a monthly in-depth look at a segment of the car market, including sales and market share data When Bosch arrived in summer 2023 from Bentley, Cariad's reputation was in tatters. Since then, Bosch, a former Oliver Wyman consultant, has led a broad reorganization. He realigned development processes with the group's brand structure, slashed costs and pushed for tighter control of code. His actions include ending over-reliance on external system suppliers. Bosch said the traditional outsourcing model does not work for modern automotive software. 'In software, with its fast development cycles, we have to work directly on the code,' he said. 'Our employees know, write, understand, and change the code — even via over-the-air updates.' VW's long-term goal is a fully software-defined vehicle architecture with centralized computing and proprietary code. 'We now do a lot ourselves, faster and more cost-effectively,' Bosch said. 'We must master the code.' Cariad contributed software to 14 models released in 2024. Bosch said that in April, nine of the 10 top-selling electric vehicles in Germany were VW Group models equipped with Cariad software. The company has overhauled its workforce structure, introduced agile delivery units and reduced management layers. Artificial intelligence tools were deployed throughout development, and insourcing has replaced expensive outsourcing in many areas. But Bosch is careful not to frame the turnaround as complete. 'Our current architectures are competitive, but they are still based on a supplier model,' he said. For the development of highly automated driving systems, Cariad is working with supplier Robert Bosch as a development partner. It is also working with VW Group's joint venture partner, EV startup Rivian, and VW's Carizon joint venture in China with Horizon Robotics. Also in China, Cariad is developing the Volkswagen China Technology Co. with domestic automaker Xpeng. 'Here, we have acquired a software license from Xpeng for the Chinese architecture, or CEA for short, but are now responsible for the code ourselves — with more than 10 million lines so far,' Bosch said. More than 500 Cariad employees in China are writing code tailored to local driving conditions and regulatory expectations. 'They know the culture and requirements inside out,' Bosch said. In North America and Europe, while some Cariad engineers have transferred to the joint venture with Rivian, Bosch said it's mainly staffed by Rivian personnel. 'The joint venture was founded by Rivian and the Volkswagen Group, not by Rivian and Cariad,' he said. Cariad now focuses on crossfunctional technologies such as cloud infrastructure, advanced driver-assist systems and infotainment, which Bosch said makes more sense for innovation and cost control. 'We are now significantly cheaper per vehicle in the cloud than the competition,' he said. The localization push extends beyond software: In China, development, design and production must all be local to meet consumer expectations and regulatory demands. 'The one-size-fits-all approach no longer works,' Bosch said. In Shanghai, for example, Cariad's advanced driver-assist system stack was tuned to maintain proximity to other vehicles in ways tailored to dense urban traffic. Despite those adaptations, Cariad remains focused on software sovereignty. 'It is important to us that we write the code ourselves and retain technological control,' Bosch said. As VW Group pursues modern, centralized architectures, Bosch said he envisions shorter development cycles and greater flexibility. 'This allows many systems to be networked more efficiently,' he said. 'We can bring functions into the car even faster, including some we don't even know about when we start development.' Cariad's evolution is occurring as legacy automakers, VW Group included, struggle with declining profits and sales, the threat of tariffs from the U.S., and Chinese automakers that continue to eat into market share in Europe and in China. In March, VW announced 1,600 Cariad workers would be laid off this year. Bosch said transformation requires restructuring and while roles such as creating specifications may be eliminated, more coders will be needed to replace them. Bosch said Cariad's central task is to ensure the software success of the entire company by creating economically viable solutions that benefit the group. Cariad's benchmark is the big picture — contributing to the software expertise and innovative strength of VW Group. 'We have financial goals — and we achieved them last year,' he said. 'The more vehicles on the road with Cariad software, the more revenue we generate.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bold new 2026 BMW iX3 confirmed for September reveal
Bold new iX3 will take its lead from the BMW Neue Klasse Vision X concept The next era of BMW will arrive in September, with the first Neue Klasse electric car, iX3 SUV, confirmed to be revealed at the Munich motor show. Previewed last year by the bold Neue Klasse Vision X concept (below), the second-generation iX3 will be the first of BMW's new family of EVs, riding on the Gen6 platform, which promises significant improvements in range, functionality and cost. The iX3 will hit roads in 2026 as a rival to the Audi Q6 E-tron, Polestar 3 and forthcoming electric Mercedes-Benz GLC. It will be followed soon after by an electric BMW 3 Series saloon, itself modelled on the striking Neue Klasse concept. A date for this unveil has yet to be confirmed. Mules for both cars are coming towards the end of their development cycles, pictured hot weather testing programme in South Africa. Specific details on the Gen6 platform remain under wraps, but BMW has confirmed it will be equipped with 800V electrical hardware for rapid charging and accommodate batteries that are 20% more energy-dense than today's packs - boosting range by as much as 30% and efficiency by 20%. The platform also houses a new generation of lighter and more efficient electric motors, accommodating up to four in the most potent of BMW's new EVs, although the iX3 is likely to offer just the choice of single- or dual-motor powertrains, initially at least. The combustion-engined BMW X3, the firm's current best seller, will continue to be sold alongside the new iX3. The fourth generation of the SUV was launched in June last year with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains. ]]>
