On March 1st (local time), Cariad unveiled the world’s first integrated app store for Volkswagen Group brand vehicles at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona.
Audi will be the first brand to integrate the store into select models starting July. This store will allow customers to access not only exclusive apps from Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, and other brands but also third-party content directly in their vehicles. Cariad is collaborating with Samsung’s Harman to create an open app ecosystem that drivers can use through their car’s infotainment system.
Cariad and Harman have already secured numerous partners for the app store. The store will provide essential and popular features that transform the car into a smart companion for the driver, including music/video, games, navigation, parking/charging, weather apps, and remote work capabilities.
The brands under Volkswagen Group are planning to integrate their own apps, such as navigation services, and further offer additional services through the store. As a result, customers will continuously experience improved vehicles through frequent updates from third-party apps or attractive and innovative Cariad products.
Cariad CEO Dirk Hilgenberg stated, “The new digital app store is a significant milestone for Cariad, showcasing the excellent collaboration between Audi, Cariad, and Harman. By seamlessly integrating the digital world of Volkswagen Group customers into their cars, it will elevate in-car experiences to a new level. The group app store will be the first to reveal an entirely new infotainment stack and will be part of the premium software ‘One.Infotainment’ system for the next-generation Porsche and Audi models.”
Audi plans to integrate the app store into certain models beginning in the summer of 2023. Audi CTO Oliver Hoffmann remarked, “Audi is the first brand within the Volkswagen Group to introduce the group app store into vehicles. It will seamlessly connect Audi to customers’ digital lives, providing a new dimension of digital in-car experience. Cariad, supplying group-level software, has provided customized, scalable solutions for Audi vehicles through the group app store. This capability to expand software solutions across various market sectors is a significant milestone in Audi’s roadmap.”
Audi will initially implement the new store in Audi A4, A5, Q5, A6, A7, A8, Q8 e-tron, and e-tron GT in Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and overseas markets. There are plans to roll it out to more models, regions, and eventually to other brands within the Volkswagen Group.
Cariad is working with Harman, an automotive electronics technology company focusing on consumer experience design, for the app store. The app store is integrated with Harman Ignite Store, allowing Volkswagen Group brands to continuously interact with third-party content and user experiences while enhancing end-user interactions.
Hubert Verhoeven, Senior Vice President of Harman’s Digital Cockpit division, expressed, “We are excited to collaborate with Cariad to provide automotive solutions that open a new era of third-party innovations. The Harman Ignite Store alleviates the burden on third-party developers by allowing them to tailor content and services for vehicles. It also enables OEMs like Volkswagen Group to maintain control over key emerging markets while providing customers with exceptional in-car experiences.”
The app store will offer a variety of third-party automotive apps, either specially developed for vehicles or adjusted to meet automotive needs. Thanks to the scalable platform approach, developers will gain access to multiple OEMs and numerous Volkswagen Group vehicles through the app store without additional adjustments.
This store will continuously ensure that vehicle apps meet the high safety requirements of the automotive industry, allowing third-party developers to update and upgrade apps wirelessly at any time.
Available apps in the group app store will include social media service TikTok, weather information provider The Weather Channel, Amazon Music, streaming service Spotify, and others, with the app list expected to expand continuously.
Jin Sang Lee daedusj@autodiary.kr