When Vehicles Surf the Internet: Continental Offers Tailor-Made Hardware and Software Solutions

The new electrical/electronic architecture (E/E architecture) of the vehicle means a radical change: the computing power of more than a hundred individual control units is concentrated in a server-based architecture in a few central high-performance computers. With the In-Car Application Server 1 for Volkswagen's ID series, Continental is the world's first supplier to deliver such a component in large-scale production. This year and next, high-performance computers (HPCs), each with tailor-made software from Continental, will come onto the market in more than 20 new vehicle models. This will considerably reduce the complexity of the conventional structure of vehicle electronics. Above all, however, the vehicles are fully connected. This makes it possible to comprehensively update software through over-the-air updates or to add new functions. As a result, vehicles become safer, more efficient, and more individual over their entire usage cycle.

Continental offers modular and scalable end-to-end solutions for connected vehicles. The E/E architecture will be structured even more clearly and tightly in the future: in a few powerful central computers as well as so-called zone control units that reliably ensure the execution and coordination of the vehicle functions. Continental’s developers are already working on the cross-domain high-performance computers required for this. They will form the core of the Continental Automotive Edge Framework, which also includes software packages, cloud platforms, services, and applications. This provides a flexible modular system in the cloud that can be used to integrate functions from different vehicle areas – from driver assistance to entertainment. For vehicle manufacturers, this solution means the greatest possible flexibility with minimal complexity. The new E/E architecture as well as the associated computing power and real-time connectivity are also the basis for future, highly automated driving functions.

The transformation of the vehicle into a component of the "Internet of Things" as well as the software-centric nature of future automobiles will not only change the technology and the product portfolio, but also make new business models and value streams possible. Continental has the experience, know-how and systems expertise to master the complex challenges posed by a completely new vehicle architecture in a coherent, efficient, and reliable manner.