Android Automotive Apps - Product Strategy

© 2023 Cerence Inc.
Apps Strategy
Overview of Android Automotive OS
Kaushal Trivedi

2
1. AAOS eating infotainment
OS market
2. What is AAOS & GAS ?
3. App ecosystem
4. 3rd party apps
1. Voice enablement
2. CARIAD Study
5. OEM owned apps
6. Recent trends in OEM
owned app-stores
7. Recommendations
Agenda

3
Android Automotive OS gaining rapid
popularity among OEMs
Expected to surpass QNX & Automotive Grade Linux by 2025
Reasons for rapid growth
1. Android Automotive OS is Open Source
2. Pre-developed automotive extensions
3. Extensive apps ecosystem
https://www.abiresearch.com/blogs/2022/07/14/how-android-automotive-os-is-changing-connected-vehicle-services/
Reference:
> 60 Million
< 10 Million

4
Android Automotive OS Adoption
Strong adoption among OEMs
Volvo Chrysler (GAS)
GMC Dodge (GAS)
Chevrolet Fiat (GAS)
Cadillac Lotus (GAS)
Renault Lucid (GAS)
Maserati Lynk (GAS)
Honda Rivian (GAS)
Acura Togg (GAS)
Nissan …
Alfa Romeo (GAS) …
Audi (GAS)
BMW (GAS)
• Launched in March 2017
• OS Family: Android, Linux
• Jointly developed by: Google,
Intel, Volvo (2018 – Polestar)
& Audi
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_Automotive
Reference:

5
What is Android Automotive OS ?
• Core of Android is developed and released as Android Open-Source Project
(AOSP)
• Android Automotive OS (AAOS) is part of AOSP
• AAOS – Android based Infotainment system built-in vehicles
• No need of users to connect their phones
• OEMs still need to develop front-end apps, home screen and back-end
services…
• Android apps that support AAOS requirements can be downloaded from the
Google Play Store
An Introduction to Android Automotive OS - Chris Simmonds - NDC TechTown 2021 - Youtube Video
Reference:

6
What is Google Automotive System (GAS) ?
• Non-free services on top of AAOS
• Similar to Google Mobile Services (GMS)
• Includes:
• Google Maps
• Google Assistant
• Google Play Store
• Per unit License
• Must Pass CTS, VTS, & ATS
An Introduction to Android Automotive OS - Chris Simmonds - NDC TechTown 2021 - Youtube Video
Reference:

7
Types of Apps in AAOS
• AOSP Apps
• Generic system apps
• Ex. Default launcher (home screen), contacts app, clock app etc.
• 3rd party Apps
• Face of the infotainment system
• Ex. Spotify, Amazon Prime etc.
• Limited access to car services (system level components with which apps interact to control
HW such as climate, audio etc.)
• OEM Apps
• Similar to 3rd party apps but without any restriction on carServices
Three categories of apps – System apps, 3rd party apps & OEM apps
https://medium.com/@amoljp19/android-automotive-unleashing-the-power-of-android-os-on-the-road-6587c4835ad7
Reference:

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Limited 3rd party apps are allowed
App category Description Platforms
Media- Audio Media apps let users browse and play music, radio, audiobooks, and
other audio content in the car.
Android Auto;
Android Automotive OS
Messaging Messaging apps let users receive incoming notifications, read
messages aloud using text-to-speech, and send replies using voice
input in the car.
Android Auto;
Navigation Navigation apps, including providers of driver and delivery services. Android Auto;
Point of Interest POI apps let the user discover and navigate to points of interest and
take relevant actions, such as parking, charging, and fuel apps.
Android Auto;
Internet of Things (IOT) IOT apps let users take relevant actions on connected devices from
within the car. Examples include controlling the state of certain
devices.
Android Auto;
Video Video apps let users view streaming videos while the car is parked.
The core purpose of these apps is to display streaming videos.
Games Game apps let users play games while the car is parked Android Automotive OS
Browser Browser apps let users access web pages while the car is parked. Android Automotive OS
https://developer.android.com/training/cars
Reference:

9
Examples of available apps
App Category Examples
Music Spotify Music, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, iHeart, TuneIn, Podcast App, radio.net,
Pocket Cast, Radio Paradise
Video Amazon Prime, YouTube
Navigation Google Maps
POI PlugShare - EV & Tesla Map
Audiobooks Audible, Google Playbooks, StoryTel
Games Basketball, Gold mahjong, Solitaire
Weather Weather & Radar – Storm Radar
https://play.google.com/store/apps?device=car&hl=en&gl=US
Reference:

© 2023 Cerence Inc. 10
https://developer.android.com/guide/app-actions/cars
https://developer.android.com/reference/app-actions/built-in-intents/bii-index
https://developer.android.com/guide/app-actions/custom-intents
Reference:

11
How is an app controlled by Voice ?
App Actions for Car
1.App Actions Enable Voice Control: App Actions expand in-app functionality to Assistant, allowing
users to perform app actions using voice commands.
2.Query Matching: When a user initiates an App Action, Assistant matches the query to a predefined
built-in intent (BII) listed in app's shortcuts.xml resource.
3.App Launch: If a match is found, Assistant launches app and navigates to the specific screen
corresponding to the user's request.
Responsibility of developers
1.Declaring BII Support: App developers declare their app's support for Built-In Intents (BIIs) by
incorporating Android capability elements.
2.Registration on Google Play Console: When developers upload their app via the Google Play
Console, Google registers the app's declared capabilities, making them accessible to users through
Google Assistant.

12
Examples
1. User triggers assistant and makes a
voice request for a specific app
2. Assistant matches the query to
GET_CHARGING_STATION BII,
extracts the location parameter SFO
and translates the parameter to geo-
coordinates
3. App is triggered via its fulfilment
definition for this BII
4. App processes the fulfilment,
displaying the charging station info in
driver’s infotainment system
2
3
5

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BuiIt-In Intent covers most of the functionalities…
However, google provides flexibility of custom intents to control special app features
Category BII
Common Open app feature, Get barcode, Get news article…
Communications Create call, create message, get message,…
Finance Create money transfer, create trade order, get invoice, …
Food & Drinks Order menu item
Games Start game, get game stats
Health & Fitness Get exercise stats, get exercise plan, get meal plan, …
Productivity Create doc, get item list, …
Shopping Get offer, create order, update cart,…
Social Create media, get image, get social media posting,…
Transportation Cancel taxi reservation, create taxi reservation,…
Travel Create flight reservation, get charging facility,…

INTERNAL
15
Scope of the exploration
The goal of this exploration was to find out how smart assistants handle the voice navigation of YouTube.
Amazon Alexa (Alexa) and Google Assistant (GA), the two giants of the market, were compared.
The behaviour of the GA is especially interesting, since YouTube belongs to Google and should therefore have
more features and a more seamless experience.
The ticket asked to check standard behaviour such as: play, pause, next/last video, repeat, forward to,
searching for particular Content Creators (CC) or content, like/dislike videos, and if the video starts playing
directly.
The ticket excluded setting the quality, sharing videos, and following CCs.

16
CARIAD study shows non-optimal UX with
Google & Alexa
Use-case GAS behavior Alexa Behavior
“Start YouTube” • Open  Youtube;
• Start  YT Music
• Play  Recommended video
• Open YouTube  scrollable picklist with
videos is available
“Pause” • Pause  Video paused w/o prompt
• Resume  Video resumes w/o prompt
• Pause  Video paused w/o prompt
• Continue  “video” in search bar;
• second try  “there is nothing to continue”
“Next”/ “Last”/ “Previous” • “Next” plays a video from your
recommended video
• “last” jumps back
• “previous” jumps back to previous
video
• ”next” is ignored
• ”last” to search bar; prompt “this is what I
found”
• “previous” jumps back to the correct video
Repeat Work well Doesn’t work
“Show me videos how to
install dishwasher”
Work well Doesn’t work
Skip ads Non-skippable Can be skipped just as on web browser

© 2023 Cerence Inc. 17
https://play.google.com/store/apps
Reference:

18
Most Interesting OEM owned apps
App description App - Owner
App to record, visualize and share the driving experience. Captures location, speed, acceleration,
timer etc.
• Polestar Performance (Volvo)
• AMG Racetrack (MB)
Car Manual • Driver’s Guide (BMW)
• Guides (MB)
To visualize the current pulse value (heartbeats per minute) on vehicle display, and a pulse history
of the last 30 minutes.
• ENERGIZING (MB)
Browse off roading trails, check-in & earn points, Get badges of honour (which can be installed on
vehicle)
• Badge of Honor (JEEP)
• Bronco Trail app (Ford)
This app analyzes your daily driving routes, regardless of your vehicle brand, to determine if
switching to an electric or hybrid Mercedes-Benz is a suitable choice for your individual mobility
patterns. Beyond assessing if electric powertrains can reach your destinations, the app also offers
insights into energy consumption and available charging infrastructure.
• Electric Ready (MB)
App provides diagnostic functionality in a convenient lightweight package enabling users to quickly
address vehicle concerns without the need for a full diagnostic scan tool and laptop.
• DiagNow (Ford)
Order EV charging anytime, anywhere • MoPI (FCA)
Navigation for EVs • A Better Route Planner (Volvo)
MB, BMW, Ford, FCA, Volvo & Toyota were analyzed

19
Summary
• Android Automotive OS is becoming popular, offering OEMs a way to provide
seamless infotainment experience to end users
• Currently, AAOS ecosystem has limited number of 3rd party apps with limited
voice control
• Strict “Driver Distraction” guidelines by Google + Limited access to Car Services
• OEMs are also developing automotive-centric custom apps to provide brand
aligned UX

20
OEMs launching their own app stores by
partnering with SW Tier Is
Harman – IGNITE
• VW / Cariad launching their own app stores in 2023 via IGNITE
• Cerence PR stating voice AI integration in IGNITE store – Link
• SoundHound is integrating its voice AI in Ignite store for 3rd party apps replacing
Cerence
Faurecia – APTOIDE
• BMW & MB became latest customer of Faurecia
Visteon – AllGo App store
• Launched in CES 2022; no customer yet.

21
Recommendations
• Option 1 – Build custom apps for OEMs
• Take inspiration from market leaders such as MB; Develop similar apps and sell to other OEMs
• Suggestions:
• MB Electric Ready: Helps OEMs in moving their customer base to EV
• AMG Racetrack: Validated by Volvo & MB; for giving their drivers a racing experience
• JEEP Badge of Honour : Validated by FCA & Ford; Target customer – SUVs / Off-roading vehicle owners
• Option 2 – Partner with Tier I app store suppliers and voice enable the app
store
• App discovery – Voice can help users to find relevant apps from potentially a large pool of apps (Business -
Developers pay OEMs to rank their apps)
• App usage – Voice can help users to discover app’s features  increased usage
• Capture user feedback – Voice can help developers to collect users’ feedback for cont. improvement

23
Automotive Infotainment OS Market
• Android Automotive OS ~
18% (by ‘27)
• QnX ~ 5% (by ‘27)
• Auto grade Linux ~ 23% (by
‘26)
• Android Open Source ~ 25%
(by ‘27)

24
OEM Specific Apps
App Description
EasyPark - Keep Moving EasyPark makes parking your car super EASY with an easy-to-use parking app that allows you
to PAY and MANAGE your parking wherever you are.
Polestar Parallax This app is for anyone who is interested in widening their knowledge about the company
Polestar.
Vivaldi Web-browser; It comes packed with useful features including a built-in Ad Blocker, tracking
protection, translation and Notes.
A Better Routeplanner Navigation for EVs
Polestar Training Platform Contains information and instructions for all those who represent the Polestar brand. Content
ranges from brand history and identity, to global operations, to FAQs and everyday situations.
Polestar Performance The Performance App adds a launch timer and g-meter to the Polestar 2 infotainment system,
visualizing your driving experience. Purchase of the performance software upgrade unlocks full
functionality.
Volvo Polestar owned Apps

25
OEM Specific Apps
App Description
My BMW Check the status of your BMW, use one of the many remote control features, plan trips in
advance, book your next service appointment, or discover the world of BMW – all from the
convenience of your smartphone.
BMW Motorrad Connected My BMW equivalent for motorbikes
BMW Driver's Guide Car Manual
MINI Driver’s Guide Car Manual for MINI models
Advanced Car Eye 3.0 Monitor and control panel for your cameras. You can watch and download recorded videos and
images and make manual recordings
BMW Museum The app will accompany exploration of the exhibition spaces and provide in-depth
commentaries covering the Museum’s various areas and individual exhibits. And it has the
additional appeal of communicating this information in the form of audio recordings.
BMW owned Apps

26
OEM Specific Apps
App Description
Mercedes me SERVICE Companion app (book service appointments, car sensor info, car manual, find dealership etc.)
Mercedes me ENERGIZING To visualize the current pulse value (heartbeats per minute) on vehicle display, and a pulse
history of the last 30 minutes.
Mercedes-Benz Part Scan A fast and reliable solution for documenting vehicle components, for service representative
Mercedes-Benz Electric
Ready
This app analyzes your daily driving routes, regardless of your vehicle brand, to determine if
switching to an electric or hybrid Mercedes-Benz is a suitable choice for your individual mobility
patterns. Beyond assessing if electric powertrains can reach your destinations, the app also
offers insights into energy consumption and available charging infrastructure.
Mercedes-Benz Guides Car Manual
Mercedes-Benz Dashcam The Mercedes-Benz Dashcam creates recordings of driving and parking situations.
AMG Track Pace AMG TRACK PACE is an app for ambitious Mercedes-AMG drivers who want to record,
analyze and evaluate numerous vehicle data and times on the racetrack and share their
experiences with their friends.
Q.DOME Q.DOME App is an App for all users involved in the transportation of Mercedes-Benz vehicles
from the production plants to dealers to document detected damages directly at the vehicle at
any point.
MB owned Apps

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OEM Specific Apps
App Description
Toyota Companion App
Toyota Engage App Provide product info in most comprehensive way
SUBARU SOLTERRA
CONNECT
Companion App for Subaru brand
One Toyota Keeping you informed on the latest company news and events.
Toyota Integrated Dashcam Monitor dashcam on phone
Toyota Dealership Recognition The Toyota Dealership Recognition App is a convenient mobile app for use by Sales
Consultants and Sales Managers to view program-level performance dashboards and track
status toward incentive rewards.
Toyota

28
OEM Specific Apps
App Description
Jeep / RAM / Dodge /
Wagoneer / Chrysler / Alfa
Romeo / FIAT /
Companion App
Jeep Badge of Honor Browse off roading trails, check-in & earn points, Get badges of honour (which can be installed
on vehicle)
Know & Go App uses the camera on a smartphone and incorporates augmented reality to view a vehicle’s
feature. Simply point the camera at the part of the vehicle you wish to learn more about, and the
name and a description will be overlaid on the image.
Stellantis Fleet Product info; comparison between different cars/ brands
MoPI App to order EV charging anywhere, anytime
FCA

29
OEM Specific Apps
App Description
Ford Pass Companion app
Bronco Trail app Similar to Jeep badge of honour
Ford Pro Telematics Drive A mobile app for drivers to associate with vehicles so that fleet managers will know which driver
is operating a vehicle and that drivers can use to complete daily vehicle checks and report
issues
Ford Play Stream media from your mobile device directly to the system monitors, or share content being
played on the monitors to other mobile devices located elsewhere in the vehicle.
What's New BlueOvalNow - Stay up-to-date on top company and industry news in just 2 minutes per day
- Select and share the content you want to see
Ford Rotunda Tool &
Equipment
The Ford Rotunda Mobile App brings Rotunda tools and equipment to your pocket and
wherever you go. Find our latest prices, promotions, contacts for sales and equipment advice,
new released equipment and other Ford Rotunda news.
Ford DiagNow Ford DiagNow provides diagnostic functionality in a convenient lightweight package enabling
users to quickly address vehicle concerns without the need for a full diagnostic scan tool and
laptop.
FORD

30
List of Apps on AAOS
Category Name Developer Comments
Music Spotify Music Spotify 3.7 rating
Music Youtube Music Google LLC 4.1 rating
Video Amazon Prime Amazon 4.5 rating
Audiobooks Audible Audible Inc. 2.3 rating; Lacks speed, timer or bookmark
like phone app
Music SoundCloud SoundCloud 4.7; Sign-in is an issue (only accepts google
sign-in; persistent logouts)
Music iHeart: Music, Radio & Podcasts iHeartMedia Inc. Can’t confirm
Audiobooks Google Playbooks Google LLC 3.8;
Music TuneIn Radio: Music & Sports TuneIn Inc 2.9;
Music Podcast App – Radio FM Radio FM 3.7
Weather Weather & Radar – Storm Radar WeatherOnline GmbH 2.1; “Totally Useless”
Music Radio.net – radio & podcast radio.net - Webradio,
News & Podcasts
3.3
Music Pocket Casts - Podcast Player Automattic, Inc 3.3

31
Android Ecosystem makes ~45% market
Android Auto
• Projection technology
• Android Auto provides a driver-
optimized app experience for users
• who have an Android phone with the
Android Auto app and
• a compatible car or aftermarket stereo
system
• Android-based infotainment system
that is built into vehicles
• users install your app directly onto the
car instead of their phones
• + Google services = GAS (incl.
google assistant, maps & play-store)

32
List of Apps on AAOS
Category Name Developer Comments
POI PlugShare - EV & Tesla Map PlugShare LLC 3.2
Audiobooks Storytel: Audiobooks & Ebooks Storytel Sweden AB 1.7
Navigation GMaps Google LLC 3.1
Music Radio Paradise Cratorsoft 3.4
Games Basketball FRVR - Dunk Shoot FRVR 2
Games Gold Mahjong FRVR FRVR 2.5
Games Solitaire FRVR FRVR 3.4

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