Automakers’ Software Solution May Finally Be Here
QNX and Vector’s collaboration could streamline the complex, costly software foundations powering the next generation of vehicles.
By Tim Stevens
Photography by Ryan Lugo / Manufacturer
Dec 12, 2025
We’re witnessing one of the most significant transformations in automotive history. It’s not just the shift to electric powertrains, which continues to challenge automakers, but the rapid evolution toward the software-defined vehicle (SDV).
What sounds like a simple transition from physical components to over-the-air (OTA) updatable software has become a persistent source of frustration for many major car manufacturers. Increasing demands for enhanced features must be delivered through a complex web of regulations and requirements, creating a nearly untenable situation that could paradoxically lead to future vehicles offering fewer features, not more.
Fortunately, a potential solution is emerging. QNX, a leader in hardware virtualization, and Vector, a specialist in middleware, have joined forces to develop what they call the Foundational Vehicle Software Platform. If successful, this platform could eliminate many of the most complex and demanding aspects of automotive software development.
The Shift to Software-Defined Vehicles
The term “software-defined vehicle” isn’t new, but as this concept has gained prominence, its meaning has evolved.
“The term has been around for about seven or eight years,” explains John Wall, President of QNX. “I think in recent years, it’s come to mean something very specific. For me, it really signifies that the vehicle is becoming increasingly dependent on software for its features.”
In some organizations, the transition to SDVs has been presented as a panacea, promising a dramatic reduction and simplification of hardware within the car—while providing a platform for vehicles that can remain relevant longer.
“I believe one of the main drivers of SDVs in traditional automotive companies is the ability to continue enhancing the vehicle over time, adding new features, and monetizing those features,” Wall notes.
However, behind these promises lies a challenging reality that has left the software divisions of some manufacturers in disarray.
The Organizational Overhaul Automakers Didn’t Anticipate
Achieving higher levels of software performance requires more than just advanced code. For traditional automakers, it necessitates a complete organizational overhaul.
“Currently, they are struggling, particularly with their development processes,” states Matthias Traub, a member of the Board of Directors and CTO at Vector. “This also applies to the cultural perspective. They are transitioning from a traditional waterfall-based process with clearly defined roles.”
The waterfall methodology is a legacy software development approach designed for projects with fixed tasks, roles, and deadlines. This model is ill-suited for the increasingly dynamic landscape of automotive software.
“Now, the shift must be toward a genuine DevOps approach,” Traub explains. “This involves smaller teams responsible for the entire chain: design, build, software development, testing, and so on.”
QNX’s Wall points out another common pitfall: the misguided belief that companies must develop every piece of code in-house. “I think that’s where many of them have faltered,” he says.
Feeling the need to own the entire software stack leads developers to write code for extremely basic functions, such as securely transmitting data over the car’s modem or rendering pixels on the display. Companies whose core business is building cars have instead found themselves writing layer upon layer of software that customers will never see.
“Their energy should be focused on features that delight their customers, not on operating systems and networking stacks,” Wall asserts.
Beyond the escalating complexity of the software stack, the breadth of modern automotive software regulations presents a massive challenge. The list of requirements developers must consider continues to grow.
“Things like the software bill of materials, the provenance of where your software came from, what’s happening in the U.S., no Chinese code,” Wall lists. “There are many factors to consider. It’s a very dynamic situation.”
A New Platform Emerges
Evolving regulations don’t just create moving targets for initial compliance; they also demand ongoing updatability and responsiveness to vulnerabilities.
“The industry is at a tipping point where software complexity threatens to outpace innovation,” Traub warns. If this trend continues, he worries that next-generation cars may offer fewer features than today’s models.
Complex regulatory environments are areas where QNX has extensive experience. The company’s foundational operating system is used in applications ranging from nuclear power plants to military aircraft.
“Many of the security requirements originated in the medical field, and we saw them a bit earlier, influenced by the Biden administration’s policies,” Wall recalls.
The Foundational Vehicle Software Platform builds on this expertise. It consists of a suite of interfaces and tools from QNX and Vector designed to streamline modern automotive software development. It leverages both companies’ long history of abstracting and simplifying complex aspects of integrated system development. In the automotive context, this means providing secure, reliable, and certifiable hardware integration.
“We’re trying to eliminate many of these difficult issues by bringing them together and providing a single source of truth for the platform,” Wall explains.
QNX and Vector have collaborated on various projects for years but have worked closely on this new platform for the past 18 months. Although still evolving, it is already showing significant promise in terms of both simplification and performance.
Traub reports that solutions running on the platform have achieved up to a 50 percent reduction in CPU load compared to custom-written code. Latency—the delay between a system request and response—was reduced by 85 percent, and overall data transmission rates more than doubled.
“And we are just at the beginning,” Traub emphasizes. “Eighteen months is not a long time, and I’m sure there will be much more acceleration available in the end.”
Faster software enables operation on simpler hardware, potentially reducing vehicle manufacturing costs.
A Promising Path Forward, But Still Early Days
QNX and Vector’s Foundational Vehicle Software Platform is still evolving, but by addressing many of the modern software industry’s pain points, it is already gaining traction.
“It’s truly remarkable to see how many companies are inquiring about our solution,” Traub notes. “Previously, we had only a handful of names on our list. Now there are two handfuls or more.”
The diversity of the companies’ clients ensures the platform will meet varied needs.
“Because Vector and QNX work with so many customers worldwide, we get a comprehensive view of the road map,” Wall says. “We understand what the car companies want.”
When will we see the resulting products on the road? Perhaps sooner than expected. “If you had asked me at the start of this project, I would have said 2029 or 2030,” Wall recalls. “But we’ve seen things accelerate recently, so I think it could be sooner.”
