Toyota Motor Corp. is now on the final steps to finishing an operating system that they say will rival Tesla’s.
Named Arene, the system is developed by Woven Planet Holdings Inc. and led by former Google engineer, James Kuffner. It allows for over-the-air (OTA) updates that can be installed into a car’s existing hardware. It also allows developers to create third-party software, Bloomberg reports.
But Tesla has already been deploying software updates since 2012. As the leader in the industry of OTA updates, it is at least three to five years ahead of other auto companies. Unlike other automakers, Tesla can update its vehicles’ battery range, autonomous functions, operating system, and even smaller things like wiper controls.
The reason for the traditional carmaker’s slow progress in jumping into technology is their lack of experience. Although they have years of experience with mechanical engineering and hardware, they lack intelligent and connected mobility.
As a result, big tech companies such as Alphabet Inc. and Amazon Inc. are becoming fierce competitors.
Toyota is determined to also be a rival to watch out for. With its tech-research company, Woven Planet, and a 300 billion yen ($2.9 billion) fund, Toyota bets that Arene can be a strong contender for the industry of high-tech auto software.
