Stellantis unveils “Virtual Cockpit,” a revolutionary tech to cut car development time from months to just a day

Stellantis, the world’s third-largest automaker by sales, has made a significant breakthrough in the rapid prototyping of car systems. In an announcement on Tuesday, the company revealed the development of a “virtual cockpit” that allows them to create and test new versions of car controls and systems within a day, a process that previously took months. This achievement is made possible by leveraging the computing power of Amazon and incorporating BlackBerry technology.

According to a report from Reuters, Stellantis can now generate “realistic virtual versions of car controls and systems, mimicking their behavior in a real car without requiring changes to the main software.” This streamlined approach has drastically reduced development time, bringing it down to as little as 24 hours in some cases.

In 2022, Stellantis joined forces with Amazon, tapping into Amazon Web Services to create software-based features for its vehicles and deliver regular over-the-air updates.

“With our virtual cockpit, we’re revolutionizing not just our approach, but also that of our suppliers and partners in the industry,” Stellantis chief software officer Yves Bonnefont said in a statement. “We’re able to get closer to our customer’s needs through this technology with faster development cycles.”

By leveraging tools developed by BlackBerry, Stellantis added that its virtual platform minimizes the distinction between running systems “in the cloud” and on actual hardware. BlackBerry, a Canadian tech company that initially concentrated on hardware and devices, has shifted its focus to enterprise software and cybersecurity.

The virtual platform “offers little to no difference between running” systems “in the cloud versus on real hardware,” Stellantis said.

Stellantis also mentioned the capability to accelerate customer feedback for a specific brand and vehicle, enabling them to implement real-time changes to enhance the driver’s experience.

We covered Stellantis late last year after the automaker invested $1.6 billion in Chinese EV startup Leapmotor as part of the effort to enhance its presence in China’s electric vehicle (EV) market.

Stellantis, headquartered in Amsterdam, is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation resulting from the merger of the Italian–American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French PSA Group. Ranked as the world’s fourth-largest automaker by sales, it follows Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and the Hyundai Motor Group.