Android and the Open Automotive Alliance Move into the Next Phase

The Open Automotive Alliance welcomes new members, as the connected car begins to take shape

SAN FRANCISCO -- June 30, 2014: The Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) -- a coalition of tech companies and auto industry leaders committed to bringing the Android platform to cars -- welcomed a number of new members into the alliance:

These new members, who join OAA founding members Audi, GM, Google, Honda, Hyundai and NVIDIA, hail from around the world and reflect the global reach of Android, which has seen more than one billion phones and tablets activated to date. The goal of the Alliance is to bring all of the benefits users have grown to love about Android into their cars, creating a safer and more convenient way to check the traffic, map out a route, or pick a playlist---but without needing to use your hands. More simply, their goal is to create a connected car.

Today at the Google I/O developer conference, Google and OAA automakers showcased the first integrations of Android Auto. Android Auto brings many of the apps drivers know and love, like Google Maps and Spotify, to an interface that’s built for driving. After connecting an Android phone to a compatible car, drivers will be able to use Android apps and services specially designed for use in a car and accessible through in-dash display and controls.

The expansion of the OAA shows its commitment to openness, customization and scale, which have contributed to Android's success and are designed to help drive auto innovation. We welcome more partners to join us on this journey, and drivers can expect to see the first cars with Android Auto roll off the assembly line in 2014.

Here's what the new members had to say about it:

Alpine Electronics, Inc. "We are very pleased to become an OAA member. Not only will Android Auto connectivity with our products increase customer value, but we also believe this will contribute to driver safety. Alpine is excited about the potential developing Android products for both the aftermarket and working with Automotive manufacturers for OEM products.” -Hirofumi Morioka, Managing Director, Engineering & Development, Alpine Electronics, Inc.

Audi AG “There can be no denying the connected car era has arrived, and with it comes the expectation that the data and functions provided by smartphone apps will seamlessly bridge to Audi infotainment environments as the ‘fourth screen’ in our customers’ lives. The progress made with our Open Automotive Alliance partners shows how this can be achieved with safety and security at the forefront.” -Ricky Hudi, Head of Development Electrics/Electronics, AUDI AG

Bentley Motors Limited “The aim is to create a car that offers a fully connected customer experience, not just through driving, but in the cabin as well. We spend a significant amount of time researching how we maximise in what way a customer interfaces with the car and this offers opportunities to further upgrade the infotainment systems.” -Rolf Frech, Member of the Board for Engineering, Bentley Motors Limited

Clarion Co., Ltd "We are excited to be a contributing member of the OAA to shape the future of in-vehicle information systems and working closely with Google to develop new connectivity technologies and capabilities. By promoting openness, collaboration, customization, and rapid evolution, the OAA will help accelerate adoption of in-vehicle specific technologies. This ubiquitous support can achieve the necessary scale needed for developing and fueling more ambitious and futuristic expectations such as autonomous cars connected to an ecosystem that will be essential to the efficiency and safety of our transportation grid many years into the future." -Hidetoshi Kawamoto, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Clarion group

CloudCar “We’re delighted to have been working with OAA partners over the last 18 months to bring the vision of seamless connectivity between car and mobile device to the market, and we look forward to contributing further innovations in this space.” -Konstantin Othmer, CEO CloudCar

Delphi Automotive PLC “Involvement with the OAA will allow Delphi to help shape the advancement of an open development model. The ability to serve the growing segment of the automotive space that uses Android, combined with our scalable platforms, is a driving force in our participation.” -Jeff Owens, Chief Technology Officer, Delphi Automotive PLC.

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles “Becoming a member of the Open Automotive Alliance offers us a great opportunity to explore how we will bring a familiar set of Android features into our Chrysler Group, Abarth, Alfa Romeo and Fiat Uconnect systems globally. This membership will complement our mission to enable drivers to stay conveniently connected while keeping their hands on the wheel and their focus on driving.” -Alan Amici, Head of Uconnect Systems and Services, Chrysler Group LLC.

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. “The connected car is radically changing the way drivers interact with their vehicles, while presenting significant opportunities for providers of leading-edge infotainment technologies. Freescale shares OAA’s vision of safer, more seamless and more intuitive access to rich, connected digital content. We look forward to collaborating with the OAA to transform this vision into reality.” -Geoff Lees, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Freescale’s MCU Group

FUJITSU TEN LTD. “Through this alliance, FUJITSU TEN believes that the ecosystem surrounding in-vehicle infotainment systems and Android devices will expand comfort and convenience for customers. Based on our years of experience developing products in this field, we believe it will lead to improvements in the manufacturing of vehicles.” -Takashi Shigematsu, President and Representative Director, FUJITSU TEN LIMITED

General Motors Co. “General Motors is focused on providing customers with options that help them bring their digital lives into their vehicles through built in and brought in solutions. Working with Google on Android Auto is a great example of how we are making our vehicles more integrated with customer’s smartphones in a way that is safer and more appropriate for the driving environment. GM joined the OAA as a founding member to bring this type of seamless user experience to our customers.” -Phil Abram, GM Chief Infotainment Officer.

Google "We're excited about the incredible momentum of the Open Automotive Alliance. With new partners across the automotive and technology industries, we've created an incredible foundation for bringing Android into automobiles with a seamless and connected experience that allows drivers to focus on the road. But this is just the beginning." -Patrick Brady, Director of Engineering, Google

Harman International Industries, Inc. “HARMAN is the bridge between Silicon Valley and automakers, and we are pleased to bring our deep knowledge of embedded infotainment and cloud-based service solutions to Android Auto and the OAA. This open development environment and common platform will allow the entire automotive ecosystem to more easily bring cutting-edge technology and experiences to drivers and passengers.” -Dinesh C. Paliwal, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, HARMAN

Honda Motor Co. “Honda’s goal is to integrate the power and functionality of Android smartphones directly into our vehicles in a way that is seamless and intuitive for our customers. Honda looks forward to working collaboratively with Google and the OAA to help millions of consumers around the world to more easily and conveniently access their smartphones’ content, data and features." -Nick Sugimoto, senior program director for Honda Silicon Valley Lab

JVC KENWOOD Corporation “JVC KENWOOD is extremely pleased to become a member of the OAA. Android, as the world’s most popular smartphone platform, represents a clear pathway for integrating cutting edge technologies into the vehicle. Future JVC Kenwood technologies will include the familiar Android platform, allowing JVC KENWOOD to further advance driver safety with a seamless connected car interface.” -Haruo Kawahara, CEO of JVC KENWOOD Corporation.

LG Electronics, Inc. “Just as smartphones have changed the way of people’s lives in the world, convergence of consumer electronics and automotive technologies will bring a new paradigm of user experience in vehicles. We are excited to join the OAA and look forward to contributing our expertise in mobile and infotainment devices, for drivers’ safety and convenience.” -Dr. Woojong Lee, President of VC Company

Maserati “Maserati is delighted to be joining the Open Automotive Alliance. On the edge of its 100th anniversary, Maserati is committed to offering innovative technical solutions and features to enhance the driver’s experience across our entire range. This project provides an excellent opportunity for Maserati to be at the forefront of such technical development.” -Harald Wester, CEO of Maserati.

Mazda Motor Corporation “When we developed the Mazda Connect/MZD Connect system that debuted in the all-new Mazda3, our aim was to provide the fun and convenience of internet connectivity with an HMI designed for safety. Joining the OAA presents an exciting opportunity to further evolve this system, and offer an even broader range of in-car experiences to our customers.” -Masashi Yamasaki, General Manager, Mazda’s Electrical & Electronics Development Dept

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation “The participation in OAA will enable us to provide our customers the never-before-seen driving pleasure and safety. Mitsubishi is very excited to bring the continuity of well popularized services and various new experiences in the vehicles led by Android platform to our customers in the near future.” -Ryugo Nakao, Executive Vice President of Product Projects & Strategy Group Headquarters, MITSUBISHI MOTORS. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd "As a constant innovation leader in automotive technology, Nissan Motor Corporation gladly supports the OAA’s efforts to make popular consumer technology accessible to all drivers. We look forward to working with the OAA to integrate Android Auto into Nissan and Infiniti vehicles around the world in the near future," -Andy Palmer, Chief Planning Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nvidia Corporation “NVIDIA’s expertise with Android ensures that we will deliver the best Android Auto in-car experience working with our OAA partners. As the leader in visual computing, NVIDIA is dedicated to bringing advanced processing to the automotive industry, making driving safer and more enjoyable.” -Rob Csongor, NVIDIA’s vice president and general manager of automotive.

Panasonic Corporation "As a number one OEM supplier of infotainment systems, we are very excited to join this alliance to provide more entertainment and comfort through making on-road experience a seamless and stress-free transition from driver's daily life. Panasonic is committed to creating a better life and our wide range of automotive technology together with OAA can create huge opportunities for advanced safety, seamless comfort, and above all, joy of driving." -Masahisa Shibata, Managing Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation and President of Automotive Systems

Parrot SA “Parrot is thrilled to team up with OAA members to design new technologies for connected cars. After introducing the first Android-powered car stereo with apps in 2011, Parrot is currently developing robust infotainment solutions based on Android for several major car manufacturers worldwide such as Volvo and McLaren. Our engineers can’t wait to bring enhanced smartphone and tablet connectivity to more drivers thanks to Android Auto.” -Henri Seydoux, CEO, Parrot.

Pioneer Corporation “As a leader in automotive infotainment Pioneer is delighted to become a member of the Open Automotive Alliance. We strive to create great in-car experiences for our customers and believe that the technology being developed within the alliance will facilitate this and allow us to continue to innovate within this exciting market.” -Mr Takashige Nakano, Senior Executive Officer of Pioneer.

Renault S.A. “Joining the OAA with our partner Nissan is an important step for us. Cars are becoming the next connected environment of our customers and a good interaction with their smartphones is critical. The link between the car and the smartphone should not only allow continuity in services and features, but also ensure that safe driving conditions are kept. We believe that joining OAA will allow us to meet these objectives.” -Thierry Viadieu, Program Director for Multimedia and Vehicle Connected Services, RENAULT

Renesas Electronics Corporation “We are honored to join the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA). Renesas R-Car solutions serve as a platform to realize safe, secure and comfortable automobile society through conversion of control and IT. OAA will be a key ecosystem for the advancement of the IVI market and will enable us to provide even more robust platform.” -R. Omura, Executive Vice President, Chief of 1st Solution Business Unit, Renesas Electronics

SEAT, S.A. “SEAT is excited to join the Open Automotive Alliance. Extending the functionality of our infotainment products with the use of Android in the cars it is the right example of Technology to enjoy for our Young spirited brand.” -Dietmar Peters, head of SEAT Electric and Electronic Development.

Škoda Auto "Connectivity has become an important part of our everyday lives. At ŠKODA, we believe in the power of creating flexible and practical products. Through seamlessly integrating Android from their mobile devices to the car, our valued customers will benefit from enhanced connectivity, safety, and even more 'Simply Clever' solutions." -Dr. Frank Welsch, Head of R&D at ŠkodaAuto.

Subaru “It is a great honor for Subaru, to be able to participate in the Open Automotive Alliance. Subaru have delivered ‘enjoyment and peace of mind’ through our vehicle product line for our customers who seek adventures and enjoy active lifestyles. We believe that these values will be more strengthened, by partnering with other members through OAA.” -Akio Takai, General Manager, Subaru Product & Portfolio Planning Division

Suzuki Motor Corporation “With the participation in the OAA, we are pleased to be able to deliver more pleasant and valuable motoring life to even more customers by incorporating ever evolving advanced devices into our products.” -Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director/Executive Vice President, Global Marketing

Symphony Teleca Corporation “We are very excited to join the OAA and are committed to contributing to Android Auto and co-creating the most advanced Android compliant solutions for the automotive market with our customers. As a long established Android ecosystem scaling partner and proven automotive systems integrator, we will help the Android ecosystem realize the OAA vision of the connected car.” -Sanjay Dhawan, President & CEO, Symphony Teleca Corporation

Volkswagen “Volkswagen has been successfully integrating Google services since 2009. Joining the Open Automotive Alliance is the next milestone to connect our infotainment modules with the consumer electronics world,” -Volkmar Tanneberger, Ph.D., Head of Electric and Electronic Development

Volvo Car Group “Volvo Car Group’s philosophy when it comes to the use of the technology in our cars reflects our customers’ desire get the best from their lives without adding complexity. Android Auto represents another step towards creating a unique, enjoyable and easy-to-use experience in Volvo cars.” -Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy & Vehicle Line Management.