Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and Google announced a technology partnership to embed the Android operating system in all its vehicles. This operation is scheduled to start in 2021. Under the technology partnership, vehicles sold by the Alliance members in many markets will utilise the Android operating system, and will provide turn-by-turn navigation with Google Maps as also access to automotive apps on the Google Play Store. The operating system will also have the ability to answer calls and texts, control media, find information, and manage vehicle functions with voice using the built in Google Assistant.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, whose member companies last year sold 10.6 million vehicles in 200 markets, will integrate Google applications and services into the infotainment and cloud-based systems. However, though the companies will share the same Android platform, the interface will be different for different brands, thus making it unique.
The infotainment partnership forms part of alliance moves to equip more vehicles with connectivity and cloud-based services as part of its Alliance 2022 mid-term plan. Under the plan, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is targeting increased sales of more than 14 million units a year by the end of 2022. The plan also involves the launch of 12 new zero-emission electric vehicles, new autonomous-driving technologies and the ongoing rollout of the Alliance Intelligent Cloud.
Kal Mos, Global Vice President of Alliance Connected Vehicles at Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, said, "With the integration of the Android platform into our infotainment systems, we are adding a new level of intelligence to our connected vehicles. In the future, the Google Assistant, which employs Google’s leading AI technology, can become the main way customers interact with their vehicles, hands-free. With Google Maps and the Google Assistant embedded in Alliance infotainment systems, our customers will have some of the most advanced AI based applications at their fingertips. And with in-vehicle access to the Google Play Store, our customers will enjoy an open and secure ecosystem of Android apps engineered for vehicles."
By combining the latest technologies from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance and Google, the Alliance member companies' vehicles will have one of the most intelligent infotainment systems in the market. Drivers and passengers will be able to leverage Google and Android's capabilities to access an ecosystem that includes thousands of existing applications and an ever-expanding array of new apps. The system will also be compatible with devices running other operating systems, such as Apple iOS.
