Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

March 2 (Xinhua)-- Volkswagen Group announced on Wednesday that it will soon launch its own in-car app store for many of its car brands, including third-party apps such as TikTok, Spotify and Yelp.

As the world's second largest automaker, Volkswagen Group is the latest to join the wave of on-board applications. It is also an important part of the group's ambitious plan to build a unified on-board software platform to manage the way its cars operate over the next few years.

In the new app store, drivers will also be able to find familiar third-party apps that are optimized for use in cars. Initially, third-party apps introduced by the mass app store include TikTok, Spotify, Yelp, etc., all of which will run on the infotainment system screen. The app store will first be integrated into some new Audi models launched by Volkswagen this year and will later be extended to other car brands such as Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley.

By doing so, Volkswagen will be able to provide a smartphone-like experience for its cars. Last month, Mercedes-Benz also announced that, starting with the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class model, its new car will support built-in applications such as TikTok, Zoom and Vivaldi web browsers. The Volkswagen Group's app store covers a wide range of applications, including music and podcasts, videoconferencing, weather, parking, electric car charging, games, news, smart home integration, etc.

Starting this summer, the app store will be integrated into most 2023 Audi models launched in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe, including A4 / A5, Q5, A6 / A7, A8, Q8 E-tron and E-tron GT. More Audi models will be introduced to the app store later this year and will be extended to more brands later this year.

Although the app store cannot be introduced into existing models through "over-the-air updates", Volkswagen said it would soon provide a new preview version of the infotainment stack One.Infotainment for all its brands. The automaker says the app and the operating system that underpins it will be based on Android Automotive. The app store was developed in partnership with Harman, a car supplier that is now a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics of South Korea.

"this is a whole new level of digital experience that we want to showcase," said Dirk Hilgenberg, chief executive of Cariad, Volkswagen's internal software division. "for third-party applications, we can combine with them to create immersive experiences, especially in games and entertainment."

One of the goals, says Hilgenberg, is to add "office functionality" designed to work in a vehicle environment from the start. In addition, Volkswagen Group is in talks to integrate native Google Maps into the system.

In recent years, as more and more drivers and passengers want features and features comparable to smartphones, applications optimized for use in cars are becoming more and more popular. Similarly, systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto largely bypass the native car technology experience, frustrating automakers who don't want to cede all of this to tech giants.

Volkswagen's app store plan stands out for several reasons, including that it will be used in fuel-fueled cars such as the A4 and Q5, not just the next generation of electric cars. Networking services and over-the-air updates may become the norm in future electric vehicles.

However, Mr Hilgenberg says app stores are crucial to Volkswagen's plans. This means that everything from ordinary Volkswagen models to expensive Porsche will be included in the interconnected car network running the same software platform. "there may be 40 million connected cars by 2030, which is a huge opportunity for developers," he said. They will ask themselves: why not integrate my apps into this ecosystem? "

Take TikTok, for example, which may be another sign that the platform has become popular almost overnight. Volkswagen's move shows that the app is already ubiquitous among Generation Z users, especially in China, the world's largest auto market. It is reported that, in the case of Mercedes-Benz, this directly prompted its decision to add the TikTok to the upcoming car.

Mr Hilgenberg said Cariad was particularly concerned about data privacy and security concerns and said third-party applications could not be written into the car software itself. Unlike the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, there is no cockpit selfie camera used to record TikTok on any Volkswagen. Currently, TikTok apps can only be used to consume content.

The launch of the app store is also a major software test for Volkswagen. Although the group has actively promoted the development of electric and connected vehicles, it has not made much progress over the years. Specifically, the task of Volkswagen's Cariad division is to unify previous plans and platforms, all to serve a new generation of electric vehicles that will rely heavily on software for charging, updating, self-driving, and so on.

This is a difficult behavior to balance. Although Volkswagen faces fierce competition from Tesla, BYD and other companies, it still seeks to become a world leader in electric vehicle production. Previously, however, while advanced features such as air updates and battery management were critical to VW's success, it also led to VW's rush to bring software that was not yet fully ready to market. The former chief executive of Volkswagen was ousted in part because of these problems.

Cariad spokesman Fabian Lebersorger said the division's plans this year include the launch of a new software platform and improvements to driver assistance systems for upcoming electric Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 E-tron models. "We have adjusted the roadmap to a more realistic timetable," he said. "2023 will be the time for Cariad to deliver on its promises."

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