TOKYOMay 20th (NHK) – The Japanese government has announced a draft strategy to promote the production of cars that are strongly controlled by software rather than hardware. These are known as so-called “software-defined vehicles”, or SDVs.
The proposed goal is for domestic manufacturers to control 30 percent of the global SDV market by 2030.
Owners of such cars can extensively upgrade and customize them through remote software updates, including driving performance and safety features. The technology can extend the life of a vehicle.
The government aims to encourage cooperation among domestic manufacturers in research and development of advanced automotive semiconductors, as well as software standardization.
Officials also want to help develop self-driving trucks and taxis.
The global automotive industry is experiencing rapid change, shaped by advances in electric vehicles and self-driving technologies. Japanese automakers are following Tesla and other rivals, including Chinese companies, in SDV.
A Tokyo-based startup is one of the startups that is ahead of the major manufacturers. The goal is to bring 10,000 self-driving vehicles onto the market annually by 2030.
Turing CTO Aoki Shunsuke said their slogan is: โWe will catch up with Tesla and beat Tesla.โ He added that he believed Japan could still win in industrial products and wanted to release products from Japan that could be used around the world.
Japan plans to establish a framework on the issue this fall that will bring together people from industry, academia and government.
