An alliance formed by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), major automakers and the Eclipse Foundation to develop software-defined vehicle (SDV) technology has expanded significantly, adding partners from Europe, Asia and North America as interest in shared, open-source vehicle software grows.
The initiative, launched in the summer of 2025, initially brought together 11 automotive companies from Germany, including manufacturers BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, alongside suppliers Bosch, Continental and ZF. The group has since grown to 32 stakeholders, with new participants such as Qualcomm, Stellantis, LG Electronics, Michelin, Schaeffler, Cummins, ECARX and Accenture joining the effort.
The alliance aims to jointly develop so-called non-differentiating vehicle software based on an open and certifiable software stack. This includes foundational functions such as middleware, communication systems, storage, security and elements of autonomous driving that do not directly shape the customer experience. Development work is being carried out within the Eclipse SDV Working Group under the coordination of the Eclipse Foundation.
“By jointly developing non-differentiating software, manufacturers and suppliers can focus their resources on what truly matters: delivering unique, customer-centric experiences,” said Dr. Marcus Bollig, managing director of the VDA.
The approach is intended to allow carmakers and suppliers to redirect engineering resources toward differentiating software, such as user interfaces, driver assistance features and personalised digital services. Supporters of the initiative liken the model to headless commerce in online retail, where shared backend systems are combined with brand-specific customer-facing designs.
Participants expect the collaborative open-source model to reduce development, integration and maintenance efforts for basic vehicle software by up to 40%, while accelerating time to market by as much as 30% through the reuse of automotive-grade software components.
The Eclipse Foundation, a Brussels-based non-profit organisation, acts as the neutral steward of the project, ensuring that the software is developed under open-source principles. Source code produced within the alliance is made openly accessible to participants, with the goal of improving interoperability across vehicle platforms and supplier ecosystems.
The expansion of the alliance reflects broader industry efforts to manage rising software complexity and costs as vehicles increasingly rely on digital architectures to enable advanced driver assistance, connectivity and automation.