Volkswagen’s IT company, Cariad, has recently launched an app store for its vehicles, marking a significant step in the automotive industry’s move towards creating a “smartphone on wheels.” The app store, designed as an open ecosystem, will allow in-car customers access to exclusive apps from Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, and other Group brands, as well as content from third-party providers.
Partnering with Samsung company Harman, Cariad has created a scalable platform that enables developers to reach multiple brands and an estimated 40 million Volkswagen Group vehicles without additional customization. The store will offer essential and popular functions, such as music and video, gaming, navigation, parking and charging, weather apps, and remote work, to make the car a smart companion for the driver and passengers.
Volkswagen Group brands will integrate their own apps, including online traffic light information and navigation services, and will be able to offer customers additional services via the store. Regular updates, whether through third-party apps or its own offerings, will make the car even better.
Audi will be the first Group brand to be equipped with the Application Store, initially integrating it into selected models from summer 2023. The equipment option will be available in Europe, the USA, Canada, Mexico, and certain overseas markets, and will later be extended to other models and regions as well as other brands of the Volkswagen Group.
Cariad’s Application Store is based on Harman’s Ignite Store, a solution for in-vehicle infotainment systems, and enables Volkswagen Group brands to retain control over third-party content, user experience, and the relationship with the end user. Third-party developers can seamlessly update and expand their apps at any time, ensuring that the applications in the vehicle meet the high safety requirements of the automotive industry.
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The Cariad Application Store already boasts a list of first partners, including Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Tidal, and Tubi, The Weather Channel, FRVR, Yelp, Stingray Karaoke, TikTok, Parkwhiz, Plugshare, Home Assistant, Vivaldi, and Webex from Cisco. Navigation services will be provided by TomTom, not Google Maps.
Cariad’s launch of its group-wide application store is an important milestone in the automotive industry’s move towards creating a “smartphone on wheels.” The app store provides a market estimated at around 40 million Volkswagen Group vehicles with access to exclusive apps and content from third-party providers, creating a better in-car experience for drivers and passengers alike.
