The BMW Group is making a major announcement by revealing its plans to integrate Android Automotive from March 2023. AAOS will represent an alternative to the current Linux-based proprietary system used by the German luxury brand. The automaker isn’t going into any details about which cars will get the different software, only saying “certain model series” will have it.
The implementation of AAOS won’t come to the detriment of the BMW Operating System 8 as its development will continue. As before, updates pushed over the air will be made at certain intervals through the BMW Remote Software Upgrade. It’ll be interesting to see which cars are going to retain the current infotainment and which will switch to the AAOS.
Android Automotive has been gaining traction since its introduction back approximately five years ago. The Polestar 2 was the first car to get the tech and has since been followed by other models from Volvo’s newly founded electric spin-off. Elsewhere, General Motors products such as the GMC Hummer EV and the Chevrolet Suburban use the same system, much like the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, and several Volvos.
There are also certain cars with AAOS but without the Google Automotive Services (GAS), including the Rivian R1T / R1S, Lucid Air, Lynk & Co 01, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Pacifica, and three Maserati models (Ghibli, Levante, Quattroporte).
It’s only a matter of time before Ford and its luxury division Lincoln will begin to use Android Automotive with GAS in their production cars as per an announcement made a little over a year ago. Stellantis, the result of the merger between FCA and PSA, will also migrate to AAOS. Honda, yet another big name in the industry, is hopping on the Android Automotive bandwagon.
With the press release issued today saying BMW Group cars will get the tech, it could also mean certain MINI and/or Rolls-Royce models will have it, but it’s too early to know for sure.
Source: BMW
