Software

Volkswagen will keep value creation in its own hands in the area of software. A large share of the software will be developed in-house or through strategic partnerships and shareholdings, particularly in areas such as: software and hardware architecture, operating system, cloud, automated driving or infotainment. This is how Volkswagen taps into new profit pools, for example offered by autonomous driving or in-car infotainment.

Over the coming years, the Group’s own software and technology company CARIAD will develop the new E3 2.0 software platform for all Group vehicles and thus exploit synergy effects across all the brands. This single software stack will form the technical foundation for data-based business models, new mobility services and autonomous driving (level 4) for the Volkswagen Group and its brands.

The new software architecture enables a complete ecosystem, which will offer customers a host of software-based services throughout the full product life cycle. By 2030, the Volkswagen Group will put up to 40 million of its cars based on the new software stack on the streets of this world. The Group will have the largest amount of real-time data in the whole industry – and continuously improve its products on this basis.

CARIADs software architecture will include a scalable operating system and cloud connection. To enable this, the company is expanding its competencies around the world. By 2025, the proportion of internally-developed software in the car will rise from the current figure of 10 percent to 60 percent.