
Open Automotive Alliance - Zikes
http://www.openautoalliance.net/
======
georgemcbay
Based on the name alone one could reasonably assume this alliance will achieve
no real world goals, will continue to sort of chug along for years and then
the next time you'll hear about it is if/when the remaining members finally
smother it with a pillow.

~~~
SyncTheory13
This is a Google initiative mirroring their Android OpenHandsetALliance. I
think that worked out pretty well for them...

~~~
sounds
Google is fighting Samsung and Amazon for control of the Android ecosystem. As
a result, they have to lock down more and more of their apps (leaving the AOSP
version to languish) [1]. So while I agree with you that it "worked out pretty
well for them" \-- namely that Google is still relevant in the Android
ecosystem -- I think we can all agree that the Open Handset Alliance is not
the real reason for Google's Android success.

That's my premise for saying the Open Automotive Alliance is just Google's
attempt to dominate in-vehicle interfaces. I don't think Google's going for a
proprietary connector like Apple -- I am glad this is Google we're talking
about, so the result is likely just some Android APIs that use bluetooth on a
select few car models.

This is definitely not a new era of open hardware in your car or something
like that (which would actually be interesting).

[1] [http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-
on-...](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-android-
controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/)

------
joezydeco
Another Open Handset Alliance? Wonderful.

[http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/](http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/)

(last updated 2011)

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whistlecrackers
There's not as much buy-in as their page shows. There are lot of brands listed
there, but many of them are of the same manufacturer. For example: Abarth,
Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, and Ram -- all one company.
Honda/Acura, Hyundai/Kia, Nissan/Renault, etc.

~~~
tbolse
Same for Volkswagen which owns amongst others: Audi, Bentley, Skoda and of
course Volkswagen itself. But these "brands" at least partially have their own
development departments. Audi for example operates quite independent in many
regards.

~~~
whistlecrackers
No mention of Lamborghini, though.

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blocke
Looks like the important thing here is now is that you don't have to care that
Android runs on your dash computer. It's that the phone is using your cars
built in display, touchpad, buttons, microphones and speakers as an attached
display, speakers, and inputs to the phone.

The actual apps run on your phone and so your car gets updates when the
software on the phone gets updates.

This mode is highly preferable to the end-user apps living in the dash
computer as that will not get upgraded worth a damn over the life of the car
no matter what.

This is exactly what I'd want to see in this situation and I can't wait to get
an aftermarket replacement to cover the gap until I need my next car.

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tbolse
I still wonder about the role of CloudCar in regards to Google and to Android.
At least the Startup is somehow connected to Andy Rubin [1], the original
founder of Android. CloudCar also has some good engineers that know the
automotive infotainment space quite well.

"The startup may not be Rubin’s next place of employment, but he is connected
to it: after the rumor hit, and then he denied it on Twitter, he further
clarified in a Google+ post that CloudCar “are a group of friends who I give
free office space to in my incubator in Los Altos.”" [1]

[1] [http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/22/cloudcar-the-stealthy-
start...](http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/22/cloudcar-the-stealthy-startup-that-
andy-rubin-is-not-joining-has-raised-11-5m/)

~~~
outside1234
CloudCar is part of the WebTV mafia. Bruce Lee and Andy Rubin both worked on
WebTV and this is the connection. There are a very large number of WebTV
alumni working in the Android team at Google as well.

There are a number of WebTV folks at Nest Labs and this is another connection
to Google (no matter how much the Nest Labs folks claim then aren't part of
Google).

So yes, CloudCar is well connected into Google.

------
SyncTheory13
I think the automotive industry is finally catching on to all the new
technology and new apps/utilities/data sources. Comparing a car in 2020 to a
car in 2010 will be like comparing 1960 to 1995. I really hope OpenXC from
Ford plays a big role in this initiative.

[http://openxcplatform.com/](http://openxcplatform.com/)

~~~
maxerickson
Isn't reasonable audio integration most of the win?

There's lots of nice things to do around navigation, but they don't seem to
matter a lot, especially if the audio integration is working well (because
then just use the navigation on the phone).

~~~
SyncTheory13
I'm looking for deeper-level driving analysis - like telling the driver they
brake too hard... As well as connectivity to smartphones to use in place of
proximity keys/alarms/remote start/etc.

Some of this, we're already seeing, but I think there is a huge opportunity
here.

~~~
bri3d
Automatic (YC, I think) do a good amount of that driving analysis, like
telling the driver they brake or accelerate too hard, using only OBD-II and an
accelerometer.

I think a built-in system doing this kind of thing would be really cool. The
technology is obviously already there, but the software isn't, so having an
app platform creates a lot of opportunity. I wonder how deep Google will be
able to convince manufacturers to take the integration - modern cars expose a
_ton_ of data and functionality over the CAN bus, but it's all undocumented
and proprietary and is often obfuscated as well.

~~~
SyncTheory13
OpenXC supplies a lot of the groundwork for this, for use with Android:

[http://openxcplatform.com/about/data-
set.html](http://openxcplatform.com/about/data-set.html)
[http://openxcplatform.com/projects/index.html](http://openxcplatform.com/projects/index.html)

I think they also provide the interface for free for interested developers...
Could be mistaken.

Basically, the idea is to make it better documented and less proprietary...
Then support a developer community for apps that can interface with the
broader range of data than OBDII can provide.

~~~
bri3d
OpenXC effectively just moves "proprietary vehicle knowledge" into firmware
from client software - it's not a standard interface for cars, but rather a
standard interface for car interfaces.

That's a neat idea since it prevents every app from needing to handle CANbus
and whatever other proprietary signaling each vehicle uses, but it doesn't
really expand vehicle support because the CAN and other messages still need to
be documented officially (as Ford have done) or reverse-engineered.

The current implementation of OpenXC actually makes the setup more expensive,
as well - an OpenXC module, since it does more, requires more hardware than a
simple CAN-to-UART/Bluetooth gateway like an ELM327 clone.

------
scrollaway
What is the background behind Tesla not being in there? Don't they run Android
on their Model S?

~~~
dmritard96
actually i think they run ubuntu + firefox for the dash at least
[http://green.autoblog.com/2014/04/12/tesla-model-s-owners-
ha...](http://green.autoblog.com/2014/04/12/tesla-model-s-owners-hack-their-
cars-find-ubuntu/)

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psbp
Wasn't Toyota one of the initial partners? What happened to them?

~~~
UVB-76
By the looks of things Toyota are going their own way through a partnership
with IBM: [http://www.zdnet.com/ibm-toyota-to-create-application-
develo...](http://www.zdnet.com/ibm-toyota-to-create-application-development-
platform-for-autos-7000030783/)

~~~
Someone1234
They're also working with Apple on CarPlay.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarPlay#Manufacturers_and_bran...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarPlay#Manufacturers_and_brands)

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kator
Reaction to Tesla?

~~~
eplanit
Part of the motivation is in reaction to, and to compete with Genivi. That
said, I think the OAA has broader goals than Genivi. Whether either
organization accomplishes anything is to be seen.

[http://genivi.org/](http://genivi.org/)

~~~
briandh
I don't know much about GENIVI, but looking at the Wikipedia page, it turns
out it has automakers involved that are also part of the OAA (Renault, Nissan,
Hyundai, and GM, unless I'm skipping any). And there's overlap in the tech
companies involved, too, of course.

