The Software-Defined Vehicle

Chapter 5. #digitalfirst: A New Way of Working

Taking everything into account that we have discussed so far, we propose a new way of working for OEMs, which we are simply calling #digitalfirst.

The fluid nature of today’s consumer preferences means we can’t definitively predict today which features will be in demand tomorrow. However, a key certainty emerges: OEMs that can’t swiftly explore, test, and deliver new features at scale may find themselves incapable of crafting the engaging customer experiences today’s consumers demand. In our rapidly evolving digital age, the agility to innovate quickly and effectively is not just desirable—it’s essential to staying relevant in the automotive industry.

Consequently, #digitalfirst starts with customer experiences and works backward to the technology. We have co-founded the digital.auto initiative to support this. “Digital first, auto second” is not just a tagline, but the core ethos guiding this transformation. As shown in Figure 5-1, #digitalfirst assumes that an OEM has to undergo three tectonic shifts: the shift north (of the vehicle API), the shift left (toward early-stage testing), and the shift toward virtualized development. We will look at each of these shifts in more detail.

Figure 5-1. The three tectonic shifts underlying #digitalfirst

Shift North

The shift north involves moving functionalities from the safety domain to ...