Automotive industry to establish new open standard for electronic architecture
Baden - Baden, Germany, September 25 -- Automotive manufacturers, BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen, and automotive system suppliers, Bosch, Continental and Siemens VDO, today announced the formation of an industry partnership, which they have decided to name AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture, to jointly develop and commercially release a standardized Electrical/Electronic (E/E) architecture concept.
The objective of the partnership is the establishment of an open standard for automotive E/E architecture. It will serve as a basic infrastructure for the management of functions within both future applications and standard software modules. The goals include the standardization of basic system functions and functional interfaces, the ability to integrate and transfer functions and to substantially improve software updates and upgrades over the vehicle lifetime. The AUTOSAR scope includes body electronics, powertrain, chassis and safety as well as multimedia systems, telematics and man-machine-interface.
The AUTOSAR partnership has been established in response to the increasing complexity of E/E systems which, in turn, has been driven by innovative vehicle applications such as driver information and driver assistance systems and increased passenger and legal requirements.
Standardization has resulted in many positive effects, such as reuse and product compatibility, throughout and beyond the automotive industry. AUTOSAR will provide similar benefits for OEMs and suppliers as well as for tool providers and new market entrants. From an OEM´s perspective, increasing the penetration of standard software modules will free up valuable resources to focus on the realization of innovative functions. By reusing software modules across product lines and customers, suppliers will be able to reduce their development effort and risk and minimize the levels of product proliferation. The shift from proprietary to standardized interfaces and the resulting increase in transparency will greatly benefit both tool providers and new market entrants. The Partnership will actively involve third parties in its development by means of various agreements, which will have specific roles and responsibilities associated with them. Such third parties may have commercial supply or demand side relationships with the partners and their admission will be permitted throughout the AUTOSAR development process.
Further information on AUTOSAR is available at http://www.autosar.org/.
About BMW Group:
The BMW Group is the only automobile company worldwide to operate with its brands MINI, BMW and Rolls-Royce exclusively in the premium segments of the automobile market.
As an international corporation, the BMW Group currently has 23 production and assembly plants in 14 countries. Through a sales network and a number of importers, the BMW Group is represented in over 120 countries on all five continents.
Today, with sales of almost 42.3 billion euro, annual sales of more than one million automobiles, over 100,000 BMW motorcycles and with more than 100,000 associates, the BMW Group is one of the world's ten largest automobile manufacturers.
Media Website: http://www.press.bmwgroup.com/
e-mail: presse@bmwgroup.com
About DaimlerChrysler:
DaimlerChrysler is one of the world's leading automotive companies. Its strategy rests on four pillars: Global presence, strong brands, broad product range, and technology leadership.
DaimlerChrysler's car brands include Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, smart, Chrysler, Jeep(r), and Dodge. Commercial vehicles are produced under Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Setra. It has manufacturing facilities in 37 countries and sells its products in more than 200 countries. Further on it offers financial and other automotive services through DaimlerChrysler Services. With 365,600 employees, DaimlerChrysler achieved revenues of EUR149.6 billion in 2002.
Media Website: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/
About Volkswagen:
The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest car producer in Europe. In 2002, the Volkswagen Group achieved the second-highest profit before tax in the company's history at 4.0 billion EUR. Last year the Group's sales totaled 86.9 billion EUR (2001: 88.5 billion EUR). With 4,984 million (2001: 5,080 million) vehicles delivered to customers in 2002, the company attained a global market share of 12.1 percent. In Western Europe, the largest car market in the world, nearly every fifth new car came from the Volkswagen Group.
Vehicle electronics is one of the major driving forces for new cars. Volkswagen has decided to increase efforts on the standardization of electronic systems as the essential main emphases to master the increasing complexity of electronic systems.
Additional information can be found on the company's web site at http://www.volkswagen.de/.
About Robert Bosch:
Bosch is the world's second largest manufacturer of automotive technology. In 2002, the Business Sector Automotive Technology, with its workforce of 144,700, achieved sales of 23.3 billion EUR. For Research and Development, the company invested 2.1 billion EUR in this field; further 1.5 billion EUR were invested in tangible fixed assets.
The Automotive Equipment Business Sector has seven divisions. Bosch products are manufactured at 119 locations on all five continents. The four largest business areas are: Fuel-injection technology for gasoline and diesel engines; systems for active and passive vehicle safety (ABS, traction control, vehicle dynamics control ESP, airbag control units); electrical machines (starters, alternators, and small electric motors); and products for mobile communications (car radios, navigation and driver-information systems).
Media Website: http://www.bosch-presse.de/
e-mail: technik-presse@bosch.com
About Continental:
The Continental Corporation is one of the major automotive suppliers worldwide. In 2002 the company took in EUR 11.4 billion in sales and has around 65,500 employees on its payroll worldwide actually, with roughly 27,000 in Germany. The Corporation with its headquarters in Hannover is organized into divisional areas for Continental Automotive Systems, Tires (passenger and commercial vehicles) and ContiTech. The company manufactures hydraulic and electronic brake systems (ESP, ABS, TCS) and electronic air suspension systems, tires for cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers as well as technical rubber products at over 100 plants and a large number of joint ventures.
e-mail: prkonzern@conti.de
Media Database Library: http://www.conti-online.com/
About Siemens VDO:
Siemens VDO Automotive is one of the world's leading suppliers of electronics, electrics and mechatronics to the automotive industry. As development partner of the automotive industry, the company manufactures products for powertrain, engine control electronics and fuel injection technology which improve engine performance and reduce emissions. Information and car communication systems with instrumentation, audio and navigation terminals, telematics and multimedia applications right through to complete cockpits provide increased ride comfort and ease of operation. Siemens VDO products for chassis and carbody such as airbag, ABS or access control systems contribute to greater safety and security. A separate Trading division markets products for retrofitting in cars and commercial vehicles, with the main focus on fleet management and audio and navigation systems. In the 2002 business year (30.9.), Siemens VDO Automotive generated sales of EUR 8.5 billion.
AUTOSAR media contact: BMW Group Technology Communications, Jochen Mueller, Tel: +49 (0)89 382-68778, e-mail: jochen.mueller@bmw.de