Volkswagen Group teams up with Microsoft on self-driving cars

The Volkswagen Group and Microsoft have teamed up in a partnership that will see the two providers jointly acquire new autonomous driving systems.

The VW Group’s computer software firm, named Vehicle.Software program Organisation, will collaborate with Microsoft to make a “cloud-centered Autonomous Driving Platform” that could make establishing driver assistance techniques a lot easier. 

Volkswagen and Microsoft have been operating jointly on the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud due to the fact 2018, a technique that focuses on integrating digital providers, this sort of as above-the-air computer software updates.

Together with the widening of its partnership with Microsoft to enable acquire autonomous driving engineering, it is aspect of a pledge from the Volkswagen Group to spend 27 billion euros (£23.7 billion) in digitisation by 2025, rising the proportion of computer software developed in residence from about ten for each cent now, to 60 for each cent.

As the offer with the American computing big is Group-large, it will go over other brand names this sort of as Skoda, SEAT, Audi and Porsche.

Volkswagen’s Automotive Cloud fleet will start tests this 12 months ahead of a comprehensive manufacturing roll-out in 2022 and will afterwards integrate the Autonomous Driving Platform, but there’s no sign from the brand names nevertheless as to when that may materialize.

It is no magic formula Volkswagen has struggled with some computer software techniques in new periods as its first bespoke electric powered motor vehicle, the ID.3 household hatchback, was plagued by computer software bugs in its development, pushing back its launch date.

Commenting on the partnership, Dirk Hilgenberg, CEO of the Vehicle.Software program Organisation claimed:

“Microsoft has substantial know-how in the subject of scalable cloud providers. We benefit from this. Conversely, this system involves development knowledge of automated driving features for sequence manufacturing. 

“We are also presently operating with Microsoft on the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud, which will encompass Volkswagen’s digital providers and mobility choices in the future. We are creating great progress in this. We want to use this momentum to develop our collaboration.”

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