Understanding the Future of SDV Evolution: The Role of Foundational Software
A constantly evolving, increasingly complex development landscape demands greater focus and stability to achieve success.
Designing, developing, and deploying software represents a profoundly intricate task under the best of circumstances. When you layer in the specific complexities inherent in the automotive sector, the entire process becomes exponentially more challenging. The well-known Silicon Valley mantra of “move fast and break things” falters significantly when the software is responsible for transporting people and their families safely.
This presents a uniquely demanding development environment that continues to grow in difficulty. Consumer expectations for more sophisticated in-car experiences are steadily rising, driven by the remarkable advancements in the mobile devices we carry in our pockets and purses. Simultaneously, an ever-denser web of global regulations threatens to impede even the most meticulously planned development processes.
As the automotive and software industries have become increasingly interconnected over the past two decades, the results have not always been seamless. A recent study commissioned by QNX reveals growing frustration among software developers worldwide. Stymied developers can lead to delayed, unreliable code—a situation that can ultimately postpone product launches.
What is driving this pervasive frustration, and how might a new combination of two existing products offer a solution? Let’s delve into the specifics.
Increased Complexity and Regulation in the SDV Era
The rise of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) offers numerous benefits to both consumers and manufacturers, enabling the creation of increasingly capable machines with advanced features that can evolve over time to keep pace with a rapidly changing vehicular landscape.
Traditional approaches to automotive development, based purely on integrated systems, are proving incapable of keeping up with this pace of evolution. However, while SDVs enable new levels of system capability and long-term product evolution, an unintended consequence is an increasingly complex mesh of interconnecting and overlapping standard interfaces.
Furthermore, heightened scrutiny and concerns regarding customer data protection, overall safety, and security have resulted in a broadening array of mandates. The year 2024 alone saw 500 new regulations proposed or added to the mix, with those related to cybersecurity causing the most significant concern.
A critical example is the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). This regulation, set to take effect in 2027, not only defines new standards for consumer data protection but also mandates frameworks for both initial assessment and ongoing lifecycle security. Addressing this requires more than just code; it necessitates an organizational shift.
Some of these same concepts are addressed in ISO/SAE 21434, another major regulation focused on automotive cybersecurity, which requires the definition of a Cybersecurity Management System (CSMS) to continuously monitor and address security risks.
These are not trivial changes, and they are having significant impacts. According to the Under the Hood: SDV Developer report commissioned by QNX, which surveyed 1,100 global embedded automotive software developers, one-third of respondents experienced delays in development timelines in 2024 due to the introduction of such regulations.
More Recalls, More Frustrations
Delays are not the only consequence of this increase in complexity and regulation. Quality is also suffering. According to JD Power’s U.S. Initial Quality Study 2025, there were 202 software-related recalls in 2024. This represents nearly double the 112 software-related recalls reported in 2023.
The majority (58%) of developers surveyed indicated that their processes and methodologies have been impacted by this trend. Many felt constrained by development environments that are, according to the survey, rated merely as “good\” or \”average.\” A sub-optimal software development environment inevitably leads to sub-optimal performance from software developers.
Compounding this issue is a significant talent shortage. It becomes clear that the converging trends of increasing development complexity and heightened consumer expectations are not sustainable. Although most developers (91%) predict that AI will have a major impact on development within the next five years, the vast majority of those surveyed state that the most effective path forward is to concentrate development efforts on the areas where they can yield the greatest impact—the application layer.
Optimizing Innovation at the Application Layer
Fast-changing regulations and cybersecurity demands are having immediate impacts on software complexity and the product landscape. Porsche’s 718 and its gas-powered Macan were both prematurely withdrawn from the European market due to their non-compliance with local regulations.
How can this increasingly burdensome situation be managed? The optimal solution may lie in entrusting the heavy lifting to others. Eight out of ten developers surveyed indicated that automakers should shift their focus to application-level development—the features and capabilities that customers actually experience—rather than becoming bogged down in the foundational software infrastructure.
This is precisely where a solution jointly developed by QNX and Vector comes into play, combining QNX’s proven OS capabilities with Vector’s deep expertise in embedded software architecture and middleware integration.
The Foundational Vehicle Software Platform
Between the fingerprint-covered touchscreen and the silicon chips buried deep within the chassis lies layer upon layer of software and various interfaces. For all of this to translate into a satisfactory user experience, all these layers must collaborate seamlessly.
This delicate interplay is a vastly complicated process, made even more so by the diversity of integrated hardware often found within a single model from a single manufacturer. This complexity makes initial software development and ongoing maintenance a massive undertaking.
The Foundational Vehicle Software Platform is a collaborative effort between QNX and Vector designed to simplify this challenge. It combines a low-level hardware abstraction layer with a comprehensive middleware suite that handles much of the integration complexity that frequently frustrates even well-intentioned OEMs.
Pre-integrated, lightweight, and certified to the automotive industry’s highest functional safety (ISO 26262 ASIL D) and security (ISO 21434) standards, this Foundational Vehicle Software Platform is inherently simple, performant by nature, and scalable across the entire vehicle. This makes it easier than ever for automakers to accelerate their SDV development efforts.
Importantly, this Foundational Vehicle Software Platform is not intended to replace OEM software stacks; rather, it is designed to accelerate them. By enabling tighter integration, faster certification, and scalable deployment, the platform supports OEMs without locking them into a specific architecture.
In essence, software developers can concentrate on creating powerful, reliable user experiences and worry less about the intricacies of system integration.
Optimization Through Prioritization
The trend of rising complexity and expanding regulation is not receding; it is set to intensify as demands grow for both more comprehensive user experiences and more secure application environments. A standardized framework operating behind the scenes to streamline both development and certification efforts will liberate developers from implementation and regulatory surprises. Less time spent grappling with these challenges translates directly to more time available for building the kinds of experiences that surprise and delight—which is ultimately what this industry, and this ride, should be all about.
