Oct 24, 2008, 9:20am ET

BMW makes push for open-source in-vehicle electronics

At an electronics panel held yesterday in Detroit, BMW said it is developing an open-source platform for electronics that would allow third-party suppliers to develop plug-and-play applications for its vehicles. This revolutionary move would allow the software industry to contribute code for in-vehicle infotainment systems, opening up a whole new world of possibilities, BMW says.



BMW was the only automaker involved in the panel - which included Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and Honda - that said they will have an open-source platform in a vehicle of 200,000 or more units within the next seven years, Automotive News reports.



BMW co-developed the open-source Linux system with Wind River Systems and Intel.



"We were convinced we had to develop an open platform that would allow for open software since the speed in the infotainment and entertainment industry requires us to be on a much faster track," Gunter Reichart, BMW vice president of driver assistance, body electronics and electrical networks, said at the event. "We invite other OEMs to join with us, to exchange with us. We are open to exchange with others."



GM and Chrysler also expressed strong interest in developing an open-source electronics system. Honda and Ford, which use Microsoft-developed systems, were a little more cautious.



"We also need to make sure who will be responsible for such an open system architecture," Honda's Toyohei Nakajima said. "Maybe we need to learn more about that from BMW."



Nakajima was concerned that a strong firewall would need to be included to prevent users from unknowingly altering other systems in the vehicle.