Renault and Google are stepping up their collaboration: the car manufacturer and the search engine will now work together on a software platform for future vehicles.
Renault is resolutely committed to digital in order to influence a sector that is defined by its software innovations as much as by its mechanical skills. To support the French group in this new adventure, Renault called on Google, with whom it signed a partnership 4 years ago.
Google becomes Renault’s cloud provider
The collaboration agreement has intensified between the two groups. They will now work on a software platform based on Android Automotive, Google’s connected car operating system, while the data will be used by the company’s cloud servers. Google, which in passing becomes the “ preferred cloud provider of Renault and its other brands (Dacia, Alpine and Mobilize).
The idea is to develop a sort of “digital twin” of vehicles incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities. This virtual carbon copy of the car will facilitate the integration of new services as well as the creation of on-board applications. One of the functions that will benefit from this digital twin will be improved vehicle operations via real-time diagnostics.
The car thus equipped will be able to alert the driver when maintenance is necessary, it will even be able to take the problem in hand automatically in certain cases. The two partners also indicate that this common software will create “personalized experiences” based on user behavior, frequently visited places or even the locations of charging stations. Finally, insurance companies could build their models based on this information.
In 2018, the Renault-Nissan-Mitshubishi Alliance entered into an agreement with Google to integrate Android Automotive. This time, only Renault and its integrated brands are part of this new partnership. Most other automakers have preferred to rely on Amazon’s cloud infrastructure.