Stellantis and Taiwan-based iPhone assembler Foxconn plan to create a joint venture to supply in-car and connected-car technologies. The two companies have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form Mobile Drive, a 50-50 joint venture based in the Netherlands.
Mobile Drive will operate as an automotive supplier, and take part in tenders to provide software solutions and related hardware for Stellantis and other interested automakers, the companies said in a joint statement.
It will focus on infotainment, telematics, and cloud service platform development with software innovations expected to include artificial intelligence-based applications, 5G communication, upgraded over-the-air services, e-commerce opportunities, and smart cockpit integrations.
Tie-up could become a significant alliance in the converging worlds of tech and autos, even if the market was expecting a venture including electric car development and production in China.
Hon Hai Precision Industry, Foxconn’s parent company, also has ambitions to supply underpinnings for electric vehicles and has signed deals with Chinese startup Byton and U.S.-based Fisker.
In an online presentation, Stellantis’ chief software officer, Yves Bonnefont, outlined the sort of UX innovations the new company is expected to bring to consumers. He said the customer-driven (rather than technology-pushed) approach will see in-cabin experiences that can be completely updatable while leveraging smart data and artificial intelligence.
He pointed to Foxconn and Stellantis previously partnering in the development of the on-board infotainment system first seen in the Airflow Vision design concept, displayed at CES 2020, integrating multiple screens for different people in the car, each screen only visible by one occupant. Screens also could be grouped together with a nod to the future possibilities of advancing levels of automated driving in which occupants can expand their digital experiences when not required to operate the vehicle.
“Today, there’s something that matters just as much as beautiful design or innovative technology,” says Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “It’s how the features inside our vehicles improve the lives of our customers”.
