Locator: 48701AUTOS.
It might be my imagination but it seems car manufacturers are making a lot of mistakes. Ford, completely unrelated, announced a million-car recall yesterday.
Amazon’s deal with Stellantis to create in-car software that the companies hoped would transform the driving experience while bolstering their vehicle-tech credentials is “winding down,” the companies confirmed after a Reuters inquiry.
The Stellantis SmartCockpit project, which would rely on Amazon’s in-car technology, is the latest example of traditional automakers struggling to work with Silicon Valley to introduce more sophisticated vehicle software.
The project between the Seattle tech giant and the maker of Jeeps, Peugeots and Alfa Romeos was hailed by the CEOs of both companies when it was announced in 2022. The two planned to develop features that would make the cars feel like an extension of home by detecting the driver and personalizing settings such as the thermostat, navigation and even home automation, like turning on lights.
Comment: yes, that's something I need to be thinking about when driving -- the thermostat at home.
Stellantis had hoped Amazon’s software expertise would help the global automaker in the race against companies like Tesla and China’s BYD. And for Amazon it was meant to serve as a prototype for a wider rollout to more automakers.
In a January 2022 press release, Stellantis’s then-CEO Carlos Tavares said he hoped the partnership would help make the vehicles “the most wanted, most captivating place to be, even when not driving.”
So, what's going to happen to all that software / hardware that's been in development for the past three years?
