Transforming Transportation with Software

Mamatha Chamarthi, Head of Software Business and Product Management, Stellantis

Stellantis has embarked on a software journey to deploy next-generation tech platforms, building on existing connected vehicle capabilities to transform how customers interact with their vehicles.

This transformation will move our vehicles from today’s dedicated electronic architectures to an open software-defined platform that seamlessly integrates with customers’ digital lives. It greatly expands the options customers have to add innovative features and services via over-the-air (OTA) updates. What this means for customers is they can keep their vehicles fresh and exciting for years after they have been built.

"The heart of the transformation to customer-centric services is the new electrical/electronic (E/E) and software architecture, STLA Brain."

The Stellantis software strategy works hand-in-hand with our electrification plans, detailed at EV Day in July 2021, which targets that more than 70 percent of its vehicle sales in Europe and more than 40 percent of vehicle sales in the United States will be low-emission vehicles (LEV) by 2030.  

Each of our 4 iconic brands is committed to offering best-in-class, fully electrified solutions. 

Stellantis will grow its software and connected services business through five key pillars:

• Services and subscriptions
• Features on demand
• Data as a service and fleet services
• Vehicle pricing and resale value
• Conquests, service retention and cross-selling

These OTA updates dramatically reduce costs for both the customers and Stellantis

Today, Stellantis has 12 million monetizable connected cars globally. By 2026, we expect this to grow to 26 million vehicles and generate approximately €4 billion in revenues. By 2030 it will reach 34 million vehicles and approximately €20 billion in annual revenues. Monetizable is defined as the vehicle’s first five years of life.

Launching in 2024, three new technology platforms will be deployed, at scale, across the four vehicle platforms of Stellantis over the following two years.

The heart of the transformation to customer-centric services is the new electrical/electronic (E/E) and software architecture, STLA Brain.

STLA Brain is fully OTA capable, with 30 modules addressed, versus 10 today. It is a service-oriented architecture fully integrated with the cloud that connects electronic control units within the vehicle with the vehicle’s central high-performing computer (HPC) via a high-speed data bus. It breaks today’s bond between hardware and software generations, enabling software developers to create and update features and services quickly without waiting for a new hardware launch.  

Simplify maintenance for the user and sustaining vehicle residual values.

STLA SmartCockpit, built on top of STLA Brain, will enable the vehicle to seamlessly integrate with the digital lives of occupants to create a customizable third living space. Studies show that customers spend an average of four years of their lives in their vehicles and this is only increasing. STLA SmartCockpit, powered by the Mobile Drive joint venture between Stellantis and Foxconn, delivers AI-based applications, such as navigation, voice assistance, e-commerce marketplace and payment services.

STLA AutoDrive, developed in partnership with BMW, will offer Level 2, Level 2+ and Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities and will be continuously upgraded through OTA updates.

To support this transformation, Stellantis is creating a software and data academy to retrain more than 1,000 internal engineers in multiple roles and develop its software community.The company is also hiring top software and AI talent from technology and other industries globally.

By 2024, Stellantis targets having 4,500 efficiency-driven software engineers, creating talent hubs around the globe. Those engineers will ensure the perfect execution of Stellantis’ software ambitions and operate within the ecosystem created by Stellantis partnerships.

Our electrification and software strategies will support the shift to become a sustainable mobility tech company to lead the pack, leveraging the associated business growth with over-the-air features and services and delivering the best experience to our customers.