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# An inside look into the Group Application Store

Volkswagen is opening its ecosystem via Android Automotive OS. Say goodbye to complex vehicle protocols and vendor lock-in. Learn how standard APIs scale apps across millions of cars.

- **Speakers:** Maxim Lebold, Sven Eckoldt
- **Event:** World Congress 2023
- **Published:** September 21, 2023
- **Duration:** 26:56
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/670-an-inside-look-into-the-group-application-store

## Summary

The Volkswagen Group, through its software company Cariad, is transforming automotive software by shifting away from fragmented, historically proprietary ecosystems toward a scalable, open standard using Android Automotive OS. Previously, third-party developers struggled with steep learning curves and vendor lock-in when dealing with specific vehicle protocols like CAN, LIN, and FlexRay. By adopting Android Automotive natively on the infotainment unit, the industry opens the door for developers to easily create and deploy applications across millions of vehicles using standard Android frameworks. Under the hood, this pivot relies heavily on a hardware abstraction layer that safely translates complex vehicle nerves into standard Android APIs. Developers interact with familiar concepts like activities and fragments alongside the CarPropertyManager and CarHardwareManager to fetch vehicle telemetry, like speed and fuel type, rather than interfacing with the raw hardware directly. Strict, natively managed Android permission models keep unauthorized code away from the vehicle's core driving mechanisms. To scale this, VW integrates the Harmon Ignite application store through custom Azure-backed middleware, unifying generic storefronts with manufacturer-specific backends. This unified marketplace accelerates release cycles while drastically expanding the reach of single digital products. Developers have the flexibility to utilize built-in Google UI templates, which automatically adhere to stringent driver distraction guidelines, or create custom interfaces under tight compliance checks. Moving forward, the ecosystem enables premium integration tiers, allowing unique API access—such as syncing ambient lighting to media apps—and fosters deeper developer partnerships with favorable revenue-sharing models compared to traditional mobile platforms.

**Keywords:** android automotive os, hardware abstraction layer, car property manager, automotive ui templates, driver distraction guidelines, infotainment applications, harman ignite platform, proprietary vehicle protocols, oem software architecture, third-party automotive apps, vehicle telemetry apis, azure integration middleware, car hardware manager, native vehicle ecosystems

## Chapters

1. **Transforming automotive mobility with software and intelligence** (01:09) — The ongoing paradigm shift in the automotive industry demands unified software capabilities to build connected and interactive experiences.
1. **Redesigning vehicle cabins around entertainment and autonomy** (04:05) — Transitioning past traditional performance metrics opens up vehicle interiors to immersive infotainment and modern autonomous driving concepts.
1. **Adopting Android natively to scale automotive applications** (06:25) — Embedding a native application ecosystem directly into vehicles enables rapid release cycles and robust cross-model scalability.
1. **Understanding the foundations of the Android Automotive system** (09:44) — The core architecture leverages an open-source operating system that runs entirely embedded within the car rather than relying on mobile device projection.
1. **Abstracting proprietary vehicle hardware via unified interfaces** (12:37) — Engineers can bypass fragmented, manufacturer-specific data networks by developing against centralized hardware abstraction layers via established APIs.
1. **Securing vehicle systems through Android permission management** (16:51) — Strict permission boundaries and physical hardware separation ensure core engine controls safely avoid interference from native infotainment applications.
1. **Reading vehicle hardware properties with property manager APIs** (19:17) — Retrieving critical vehicle telemetry like physical speed or operational EV range requires instantiating straightforward hardware and property manager classes.
1. **Addressing driver distraction rules with Android UI templates** (21:25) — Utilizing predefined view structures minimizes cognitive load while guaranteeing automatic compliance with rigorous driver distraction guidelines.
1. **Unlocking restricted car actions for premium software partners** (23:13) — Selected third-party developers can coordinate specialized agreements extending their functionality beyond standard APIs into custom vehicle behavior like ambient interior lighting.
1. **Integrating third-party application stores into existing cloud architectures** (24:11) — Connecting a standardized third-party digital marketplace to an established corporate cloud platform necessitates routing traffic through specialized backend proxies and brokers.

## Related Moments

- [Unified tech stack and hardware for Volkswagen](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/519-finding-the-unknown-unknowns-intelligent-data-collection-for-autonomous-driving-development) (from "Finding the unknown unknowns: intelligent data collection for autonomous driving development")
- [Comparing tethered Android Auto protocols with native Automotive OS](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/553-android-beyond-mobile-cars-tvs-and-wearables) (from "Android beyond mobile: Cars, TVs, and Wearables")
- [Developing customized native applications for automotive user interfaces](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/499-for-the-cars-and-the-curious-android-drift) (from "For the Cars and the Curious: Android Drift")
- [Expanding the Android ecosystem to wearables, televisions, and vehicles](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/553-android-beyond-mobile-cars-tvs-and-wearables) (from "Android beyond mobile: Cars, TVs, and Wearables")
- [Centralizing automotive software development across brand portfolios](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/200-agile-work-at-cariad-creating-a-customer-web-application-for-controlling-the-vehicle) (from "Agile work at CARIAD – Creating a customer web application for controlling the vehicle ")
- [Adopting a software-first approach to vehicle development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1114-software-defines-the-vehicle-why-customers-and-developers-will-love-cars-even-more) (from "Software defines the vehicle: Why customers and developers will love cars even more")

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