The Hardware Abstraction Layer for a European Software Defined Vehicle Approach (HAL4SDV) project is funded under the European Commission Chips-Joint Undertaking program in reply to its call HORIZON-KDT-JU-2023-2-RIA - Focus Topic 2 and under the Project Number 101139789. The HAL4SDV Consortium consisting of 49 Partners plus 3 affiliates and 10 associated Partners is led by TTTech Computertechnik AG, headquartered in Vienna, Austria. HAL4SDV has a project value of Mio€64,5 with a European Commission (EC) funding of approx. Mio€17,8. HAL4SDV also receives funding from the national authorities of the partner organizations at approximately the same amount as provided by the EC. The project started in Q2/2024 and is scheduled for three years.
The European automotive industry increasingly faces massive competition from the Chinese and USA markets, both, concerning technological excellence more and more questioning the European technology leadership. On the economic side extreme low prices are offered. In its study “A long-term vision for the European automotive industry” McKinsey identified three different market strategies, where USA builds on its “data-rich tech giants” with its gigantic market valuations (i.e.: Apple, Google, Tesla and their capitalization) and China “engaging governmentally regulated economy measures massively using huge “orchestrators” to digitize their industry (i.e.: Provincial governments working with Alibaba in large scale, Tencent, Haier, etc.)”. For differentiation reasons this leaves Europe in kind of a niche “Serving their customers with diverse mobility realities” diverse and dense network of global customers with diverse mobility realities – disruptive services like mobility as a service, shared mobility/car sharing models, etc.”. Thus, immediately starting intensive cooperation among the automotive industry players became of paramount importance. HAL4SDV therefore targets to establish a European SDV cooperation community to join forces in reply to the huge players with their almost unlimited budgets. The approach that will transform the entire automotive business model and industry.
Before the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) has taken up speed, vehicles were sold in a static configuration with best performance when they were new, and they lost their value over time. Among practical features like suited for families etc, customers were admiring emotionally fired up indicators like ”horse-power” etc. In combination with novel electric powertrains the SDV approach this will turn the industry from “complexity” into “opportunity”. With the goal in mind to operate a vehicle for millions of miles on the same “mechanical setting” maintained in a similar way as usual in the aerospace domain, the value of a vehicle is massively determined by the software (SW) functions installed, which also can dynamically be updated and enhanced any time. Thus, the performance is expected to increase over time and the vehicle value will follow and rise over time as well. Individual sales to private owners will play a minor role and fleets will take over. “Mobility as a service” will become essential.
In line with the EU Strategic Research and Innovation priorities on Electronic Components and Systems, key European industrial companies, research organizations, and academic organizations from eleven countries started a three-year HAL4SDV project to pioneer innovative methods, technologies, and processes for series vehicle development beyond 2030.
The HAL4SDV project mission is to advance European solutions in SDV and next-generation vehicles. It aims to harmonize efforts across Europe, creating a comprehensive SDV ecosystem while leveraging existing national projects and international R&D activities. By focusing on unifying software interfaces and development methodologies, HAL4SDV will enable software configuration that abstracts from vehicle hardware, paving the way for a "software-defined vehicle" approach for both safety-critical and non-safety-critical applications in future vehicles.
Beyond technological innovation, HAL4SDV underpins Europe's automotive industry, sustains its competitive edge, and accelerates green and digital transitions, both fostering collaboration and promoting sustainability across the automotive ecosystem.
More information on the HAL4SDV Project can be found on the Project Website:
https://www.hal4sdv.eu/(opens in new window)
