BMW is the latest to adopt Android Automotive

Image: BMW

This week, BMW announced that it will be using the platform for some future vehicles, which is in line with the growing popularity of theAndroid automotive OS. The current Linux-based version of the BMW Operating System 8 will be maintained even though the company plans to develop their own version using theANDROID automotive platform.

Stephan Durach is the lead developer for the digital driving experience. Durach said that the best aspects of all worlds could be our own in-house developments, Open Source or commercial software products.

There is an operating system that can be embedded into cars. Not to be confused with the phone-to-dash connection system called Android Auto.

The approach for two software platforms can vary based on what BMW series it's running on, though the company did not provide any details beyond that. The new OS will allow the company to ship vehicles with missing features like Apple CarPlay due to supply chain issues.

BMW is usually the first to adopt new technologies. It was one of the first cars to include Apple's version of a phone-as-a-key feature that allows you to drive away without a credit card. The majority of BMW owners were found to be Apple users, so the company was late in adopting the app. BMW is dipping into an empty pool that includes Polestar, some Volvo models, and some future Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

The software giant wants to take its software mass market into many cars. The clock is running for Apple to catch up with BMW. Hopefully BMW won't try to make it a subscription service again if it supports Apple's newest integrations in the future.