Exploring the Impact of Software on The Advancement of EVs

India today has the potential to revolutionize sustainable mobility in a way that hasn't been since the early 1900s, providing transformational opportunities for players in the auto industry to reinvent themselves. To succeed in this mobility transformation, the auto industry can’t rely solely on EV manufacturing and production.?

Auto-makers particularly require the DNA, or the Operating System (OS), to power the new EVs and build the ecosystem that will drive EV adoption. That said, automakers usually don't have the technical know-how to successfully build EV operating systems. This is where collaborative partnerships with EV OS makers can help develop and implement advanced EV software solutions that will support the safe, efficient, and reliable operations of these vehicles.

In this article, we focus on three key questions:

• What are the current challenges in EV software?
• Why does the EV industry need to upgrade its software?
• How can EV software solutions optimize EVs?

Challenges for the Indian EV Market

Though software solutions play a critical role in the EV industry, many challenges continue to impede the sustainable development and adoption of EVs in India. Below are four of these challenges.

1. Integration with Hardware

EV software is multilayered and interacts with different pieces of hardware through its tech stack. But an extensive and complicated software stack requires integration with different types of hardware from multiple vendors.?

To address this, industry bodies need to establish standards for software compatibility with different hardware layers. They should also create communication protocols that enhance communication speed and vehicle efficiency.

2. User Experience (UX)

UX determines how every individual can customize their EV’s software. But developing great UX needs a scalable ecosystem to keep up with the car’s operation and user preferences.?

UX designers can leverage AI and machine learning to personalize the user experience, while incremental UI updates can meet diverse customer needs and hasten EV adoption. Properly built UX can also make EVs more secure and reliable, improving EV drivers’ overall experience.

3. Security

A report by Upstream Automotive shows the frequency of cyberattacks has increased by 225% from 2018 to 2021. EVs are particularly prone to cyberattacks because of their complex architecture and outsourced components.

To counter this issue, software makers must regularly update the cloud services they use to manage charging stations. Additionally, they should secure EV owners' personal information with role-based access. State-of-the-art EV OS will also play a critical role in securing EV software, enhancing the safety of EVs.?

4. Interoperability

EV drivers currently use multiple mobile applications and access cards to charge their vehicles at charging stations operated by different providers. This means they always worry about finding a charging station compatible with their access card, adding to inconvenience and range anxiety.

Standardizing hardware and software across charging stations enhances interoperability, allowing drivers to charge from anywhere using a single access card. Unified access can also improve charging efficiency and accelerate EV adoption. EV OS makers can help address this issue by offering a single tech stack for all EV software applications.?

Need for Upgraded Software in Today’s Market

EVs’ underlying ability to receive upgrades make them more attractive than ICE vehicles. Through OS upgrades, EVs can quickly adapt to customer demands and the market as a whole. Below we highlight four drivers for upgraded EV software.?

1. Competitive Landscape

A big push from the Indian government is bringing many private players into the Indian EV space. To stay ahead of the competition, more OEMs are incorporating AI and self-healing algorithms that can reduce operational issues by 80%. With this, EV OS developers should also upgrade their software to embrace AI.?

2. Cybersecurity

Outdated software greatly increases the chances of cyberattacks. In response, governments worldwide are defining stringent standards for EV software, like the TR 25 2022 in Singapore. Every EV software maker today is required to tailor their platform to meet these guidelines. This will also make secure EV OS more attractive to EV manufacturers.?

3. Scaling Infrastructure

Setting up a charging station can be expensive, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for EV charging. Well-developed EV software tools and applications can bridge the gap between high installation costs and incompatibility among charging providers. For instance, EV OS can suggest the best places to install charging infrastructure, or forecast a community’s need for EV charging. This will ensure infrastructure doesn’t scale haphazardly.?

4. Fleet Management

Fleet operators can have vehicles from multiple automakers as a part of their fleet. This means they need a way to manage and consolidate EVs and improve their ROI. EV OS can integrate various inputs from different providers, giving operators an easier way to manage fleets. Future OS versions may also provide data analytics in real-time through a single pane to help fleet operators make informed decisions quickly.

Optimizing Solutions Through EV Software

Optimizing EV software is essential to maximizing the benefits of electric mobility and overcoming some of the challenges facing the industry. Below we examine three ways EV software makers and OEMs can optimize EV software for the future.?

1. Hardware-Software Integration

Trends like Vehicle-to-Anything (V2X) connectivity and energy-efficient powertrain solutions fuel the demand for centralized control of vehicle functions. To meet these needs, software experts are working on a microkernel distributed operating system (eMCOS). This will promote seamless communication among different hardware components while allowing fast processing, improved efficiency, and scalability.?

2. User-Centered Design

Today’s user-centered design model enables OEMs to take different blocks of software, customize them to meet their vehicle model’s specific requirements, and build their own products on top of an OS that supports this modular approach. User-centered models can also integrate UX and software development processes for scalability.?

3. Data Security

As connected vehicles can seamlessly transfer information from charging stations to a network of vehicles or the electricity grid, data security is a major threat. Software makers should optimize EV software to meet new cybersecurity standards and utilize frameworks like UL 4600, SOTIF, and ISO 26262 to guide data handling, AI and ML use of data, operational feedback, and the data pipeline.?

Colossal Impact for the Future

As the EV market continues to expand and evolve, industry stakeholders must focus on adopting an advanced OS for building comprehensive and seamless software solutions to ensure a secure, efficient, and reliable transition to electric mobility.

Leveraging a powerful EV OS to build an EV software ecosystem is critical for unlocking the full potential of electric mobility. When developed properly, EV software can address the many obstacles currently facing the industry.?

If companies focus on the three solutions above, they can improve the efficiency, safety, and user experience of their EV software solutions. This, in turn, can have a significant, positive impact on the future of EV adoption in India.