Toyota and Ford cooperation PK Google Apple in Automotive system
Toyota and Ford joint statement said that they could be cooperate in automotive systems, the former using the latter technique “SmartDeviceLink” to compete with Google, Apple and other IT giants company that enter the automotive industry.
Ford cooperation with Toyota
Toyota will work together to explore the field of intelligent vehicles and vehicle networking with Ford , Base on Ford SmartDeviceLink (associated intelligent device, referred to as SDL). SmartDeviceLink was actually an open source version in Ford AppLink ™ technology .Toyota cooperate with Livio (a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford) in the SDL project
Ford said that the Ford brand vehicles mounted in carrying SYNC multimedia telematics entertainment system AppLink ™ as an application program interface (API), allows the driver to easily use multiple smartphone apps through voice recognition and dashboard buttons.
On vehicles equipped with AppLink ™ technology or SDL, the owner can be control function of smartphone app, and such as Spotify (sound Happening, the world’s largest streaming music service), Glympse, iHeartRadio and Pandora (Pandora) and other services through the instrument panel keys, touch screen and voice recognition system. In China, these programs (app) include Baidu map, QQ music, watercress FM, and Sina Weibo.
Ford said that the reason of AppLink ™ will contribute source code to the open source community was to promote the development of automotive application developer community, as car manufacturers continue to innovate to meet the owner of the smartphone application integration expectations, information and entertainment differentiated system solutions.
Toyota intends SDL technology into new cars in Future, but Toyota did not give a detailed list of the new car.
Auto enterprise VS IT company : who is the final winner?
Foreign media pointed out that Toyota and Ford to cooperate in automotive systems, intended to compete with Apple(CarPlay) and Google Android automotive systems (Android Auto). Apple and Google was focus on intelligent car in recent years , CarPlay and Android Auto attract a large number of users and owner, but also for the two IT giants in the automotive field to win more right to speak and higher status.
By the end of May 2015 and the beginning of June, GM’s Chevrolet ,Opel brands, Hyundai and Mitsubishi Motors have announced they will use Apple CarPlay and Google Android dual system. For example.The US market 2015 Hyundai Sonata, 2016 Chevrolet car will become a dual system user.
With more and more IT companies figure emerged in the car navigation system in the field of information and entertainment , the dashboard will become a battlefield between traditional car companies and Silicon Valley companies , they may intensify conflict between the two camps
Although Apple’s official website was classified as CarPlay partners such as Toyota and Ford , but they are not uses CarPlay system for the new Toyota car
IHS Automotive predicts that global car companies will have 3,100 million vehicles equipped CarPlay system in 2020s, and 3,700 vehicles equipped with automotive Andrews systems.