- Stellantis introduces the first-of-its-kind virtual cockpit
as a key component of the Stellantis Virtual Engineering Workbench
(VEW)
- Industry-first innovation accelerates Stellantis development
cycles up to 100 times, speeding up delivery of infotainment tech
to customers
- BlackBerry QNX announces early access launch of QNX
Hypervisor in the cloud on AWS Marketplace for mixed criticality
and multi-OS embedded application development
LAS
VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global
automaker Stellantis N.V. led the creation of the world's first
virtual cockpit platform as part of its Stellantis Virtual
Engineering Workbench (VEW) enabling the delivery of infotainment
tech to customers 100 times faster than previous processes. The new
platform uses the QNX® Hypervisor in the cloud from BlackBerry,
which is now on early access release via AWS Marketplace within the
QNX Accelerate portfolio of cloud-based tools. Stellantis can now
create realistic virtual versions of car controls and systems,
making them behave just like they would in a real car, but without
needing to change the main software that runs them, taking what
used to take months to be achieved down to 24 hours in some
cases.
Accessing QNX Hypervisor via AWS Marketplace enables Stellantis
to include a virtual cockpit high-performance computing (HPC)
simulation into a cloud environment. This industry-first platform
for mixed-criticality and multi-OS embedded application development
includes QNX Hypervisor Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) and
industry-standard hardware interfaces as defined in the VirtIO
standard Trout v1.2. With tools such as virtualization of graphics,
audio, and touchscreen/mouse/keyboard inputs, the solution offers
little to no difference between running QNX Hypervisor-based
systems in the cloud versus on real hardware.
Software is a key building block for Stellantis to deliver
clean, safe and affordable mobility, as outlined in the Dare
Forward 2030 strategic plan, and the driving force behind the
AI-powered STLA Brain, STLA SmartCockpit and STLA AutoDrive
technology platforms. In 2022, Stellantis selected AWS as its
preferred cloud provider for vehicle platforms and the companies
began work on Stellantis' purpose-built, in-house VEW.
Taking a software-driven approach and deploying the QNX
Hypervisor in the cloud, Stellantis can accelerate customer
feedback sessions, and with minimal effort, replicate the cockpit
experience of a particular brand and vehicle, and make changes in
real time to optimize the experience for the driver. This real-time
feedback, underpinned by low-latency access to the cloud, allows
Stellantis to solicit valuable feedback from its customer and
developer base to build future infotainment features and
applications.
"Software is becoming increasingly crucial in vehicles, leading
us to innovate in how we develop and validate it," said Yves
Bonnefont, Chief Software Officer at Stellantis. "With our virtual
cockpit, we're revolutionizing not just our approach, but also that
of our suppliers and partners in the industry. Essentially, we're
able to get closer to our customer's needs through this technology
with faster development cycles, faster feedback loops, and quicker
delivery of the technology they use and love. It's a leap towards
customer-first innovation and efficiency in the automotive
world."
"We're delighted to introduce early access availability of our
trusted QNX Hypervisor platform in the cloud, leveraging the vendor
and platform-neutral VirtIO standard that QNX has long-supported
for its importance in creating a true-to-life virtual development
environment for embedded software," said Mattias Eriksson, President, BlackBerry IoT.
"Working with Stellantis to launch the world's first commercial
hypervisor in the AWS cloud helps to reduce complexity, accelerate
innovation and cut costs on in-car software development throughout
the entire product lifecycle."
"Software virtualization and abstraction in the cloud is vital
to accelerating development and maintaining feature delivery
on-pace with consumer demand," said Wendy
Bauer, Vice President and General Manager, Automotive and
Manufacturing, AWS. "With BlackBerry's QNX Hypervisor on AWS
Marketplace, Stellantis can easily harness the power of the cloud
to reimagine research and development processes, architect more
insightful ways to solicit and integrate feedback, and deliver
functions faster than before that delight drivers and further the
industry."
Standard VirtIO interfaces are also used by a suite of
automotive partners to scale their offerings across OEMs and enable
plug-and-play across the OEM landscape. Recognizing the benefits,
AWS fully supports the VirtIO industry standard for cloud
simulation of cockpit HPCs.
BlackBerry QNX launched QNX Accelerate in January 2023 with its portfolio initially
featuring QNX® Neutrino® RTOS 7.1 and the QNX® OS for Safety 2.2.3,
each provided as Amazon Machine Images allowing QNX customers to
run a QNX OS natively on AWS cloud hardware. The early access
release of QNX Hypervisor in the cloud is available now and general
availability will be announced later in 2024.
A non-branded demonstration of the technology is available at
the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from January 9 – 12, 2024, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Visit BlackBerry
at Booth #4224 in the West Hall.
About BlackBerry
BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security
software and services to enterprises and governments around the
world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including over 235M vehicles. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI
and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas
of cybersecurity, safety, and data privacy solutions, and is a
leader in the areas of endpoint management, endpoint security,
encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is
clear - to secure a connected future you can trust. For more
information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.
Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and
EMBLEM Design, are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are
expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for
any third-party products or services.
About Stellantis
Stellantis N.V. is one of the world's leading automakers
aiming to provide clean, safe and affordable freedom of mobility to
all. It's best known for its unique portfolio of iconic and
innovative brands including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën,
Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati,
Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall,
Free2move and Leasys. Stellantis is executing its Dare Forward
2030, a bold strategic plan that paves the way to achieve the
ambitious target of becoming a carbon net zero mobility tech
company by 2038, while creating added value for all stakeholders.
For more information, visit www.stellantis.com.
Media Contacts:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com
Stellantis Global Communications
Fernão Silveira
+31 6 43 25 43 41
fernao.silveira@stellantis.com
communications@stellantis.com
www.stellantis.com
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