New Way Now: BMW Group redefines driving experiences with Android™ Automotive OS Project and Google

*Summary:* Dr. Céline Laurent-Winter, VP of Connected Vehicle platforms at BMW Group, along with Google Cloud’s Dr. Michael Kollig, director of Google Cloud customer engineering in northern Europe, talk about the German luxury automobile manufacturer’s long-standing partnership with Google and how it has helped bolster its software-defined vehicle strategy. Working together with Android Automotive OS Project and Google, the BMW Group is delivering a new generation of digital driving experiences in more than 22 million internet-connected vehicles across 95 countries. *Challenge:* As an auto manufacturer, BMW Group’s core focus is on the art of car construction and delivering services that make driving convenient and more efficient. Recognizing that internet connection alone is only half the story when building intuitive and interactive digital experiences, BMW was looking to integrate innovative infotainment and entertainment services that help transform its cars into digital ecosystems which connect seamlessly with the digital lives of its customers. *Solution:* BMW Group first introduced Android Auto in 2020 to enable customers to connect their Android-based smartphones to their cars, allowing them to stay connected to their messaging and calendars, listen to music, and enjoy features like real-time traffic information and map updates. The team also collaborated with Google to launch a digital car key feature which allows customers to lock, unlock, and even start their car using their Android phone. These capabilities have been so successful that the new BMW Operating System 9 is now built on Android Automotive Open Source (AOOS). In addition, BMW Group leveraged Compute Engine to achieve a new level of flexibility for test environments and scale testing in its development process thus gaining velocity while reducing hardware dependencies. *Results:* BMW Group’s mission is to connect its vehicles with other vehicles and the rest of the world. Through its continu