ECARX and smart make their collaboration permanent with a new joint venture company – “smart Software Technology”.
Giants of the semiconductor industry are increasingly dominant in the automotive sector as electrification and self-driving become the norm. Providing competition to these players like Nvidia and Qualcomm is part of the reason why Geely’s founder started ECARX. Now ECARX is expanding its reach further with a new joint venture alongside another partially Geely-owned brand – smart.
Malaysians should by now be familiar with smart as the latest premium electric vehicle brand brought in via Proton’s PRO-NET division and sold via Mercedes-Benz authorised dealer network Hap Seng.
The new joint venture between smart and ECARX is called “smart Software Technology” and its focus is to explore innovative technology ecosystems, develop automotive-grade intelligent software and build on the future of “software-defined cars” through innovative technology ecosystems.
It’s unclear how long it will take for smart Software Technology to get off the ground and start providing solutions. However, it is likely that smart #1 buyers today will be able to experience future updates Over-The-Air from this new company as they roll out. Current models like the #1 already feature smart OS, which was developed in collaboration with ECARX. This new JV will further strengthen the relationship.
Some may question the need for such a joint venture, but software will be important for sales to a new generation of customer. Just as today’s smartphone buyer can be largely influenced by the operating system and user interface, cars of the future will need to do a similar thing.
Today, many cars have their infotainment systems linked up to core features of the vehicle. For legacy car makers, going in this new direction has many risks and the cost is high, so partnering up with a technology company like ECARX can quicken the process, reduce costs and result in a more unique brand experience over something taken off the shelf.
