GM is investing heavily in software development, with the ambitious goal of generating upwards of $25 billion in revenue from software and services by the end of the decade. However, the pursuit of that goal hasn’t been without its challenges. The automaker has faced various setbacks along the way, including stop-sales, software glitches, and other obstacles, as it works to establish itself as a leader in automotive software.
As reported by Automotive News, General Motors’ software ambitions are driven by a team of executives with roots in tech giants like Apple and Microsoft. This team, now consisting of “several thousand people,” as noted by GM CEO Mary Barra, is at the forefront of the company’s push into the digital realm.
In an internal memo, Baris Cetinok and Dave Richardson, both former Apple executives who were promoted to leadership roles this past June, emphasized the importance of bold decision-making to accelerate progress.
“As we help build GM’s bold vision for the future, we must make bold choices that enable us to move faster, pivot when needed, and prioritize investing in what will have the greatest impact,” the memo states. The memo also highlighted efforts to streamline operations by flattening hierarchies, reducing duplication, and focusing resources on the most critical tasks. The team is currently working on software projects expected to surpass 120 million lines of code.
Despite these efforts, the road so far has been somewhat rocky. Earlier this month, General Motors cut over 1,000 software jobs globally as part of a restructuring effort. Additionally, last December, a stop-sale was issued for the Chevy Blazer EV due to software glitches, underscoring the challenges GM faces as it transitions into a more software-centric future.
To mitigate such issues, GM has established a dedicated software quality control division based at the GM Global Technical Center in Michigan. This division is tasked with rigorous testing and validation to ensure the reliability and functionality of General Motors’ software offerings. The automaker also operates infotainment test centers in California, Michigan, Canada, and Israel, as well as a software integration lab in Michigan, all aimed at refining its software development process.
Looking forward, the company’s focus on in-vehicle connectivity, infotainment, and advanced driver-assist technologies positions it to potentially become a significant player in the automotive software market. However, overcoming the current hurdles will be crucial to achieving the substantial profits GM envisions.
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Comments
I wonder if GM considers the OBD-2 hack a glitch.
I’m afraid to leave my 2023 ZLE anywhere I cant see it for fear it will get stolen in minutes – and I’ll never be able to replace it
Translation: You will be paying a subscription fee to use remote start, tire pressure monitors, navigation, power locks, lane departure, etc. . Anything you want to use will be subscription based. You will have commercials on your infotainment system. GM believes you will willing pay $100 per month for add on services.
And they are still selling customer information.
GM needs to make their own phone, and then sell it with the car, therefore getting a piece of the software market.
You are on to something here – you’re close, but not quite there – GM won’t make it’s own phone and sell it with the car, but the people doing a lot of the 120,000,000 lines of code WILL make a phone and OFFER it with the car. Or GM/others will offer phones with features that complement the car –
The infotainment system is based on the Android operating system. Actually, for a time, Microsoft made/sold Windows phones using Android. And GM and Microsoft made, and then expanded, an agreement for development of software on GM vehicles.
GM needs the software expertise and capacity of Microsoft. If Microsoft wants a presence in mobile (and it does – Nadella has said so), GM can offer Microsoft into mobile.
I don’t know exactly how that will work, but they’re working on it, jointly. The results of 2-3 years of GM/Microsoft collaboration will be presented this fall, together with updates on GM autonomy (Cruise) and semi-autonomy (Super Cruise).
GM and Microsoft need one another. They know that. They just might be too big and screw it up. But, they just might pull it off. Microsoft’s use of and expertise in AI to help with the software could be a big factor in making 120 million lines of code actually work well.
You heard it here first. You’re welcome. In the future, when you cite this note, please say nice things about me….
I wonder how a Microsoft/GM joint project proceeds when GM just hired two former top level Apple executives?
I’m thinking an incentive could be to follow the steps Apple took in collecting 30% of the revenue generated by other software developers ( apps ) and using that model to achieve their $25B in 5 years.
Just remember GM. There are always options outside your brands. So if you decide now that you want to charge me subscriptions for something I ALREADY PAID FOR like heated seats, Hyundai Kia makes excellent comparable products that won’t charge me subscription for this. So a little something for you to ponder. Keep that crap for continuously supported services like OnStar or Super Cruise not a piece of hardware I paid for just so the ON button does something.
Yes, several other brands out there, we just have to hope that they don’t jump on board & chase after more $$$$ like gm does at every little thing. For some of us in our retirement, we might also choose to buy one decent vehicle & not buy anything from any of the brands for another 10-15 years.
Automakers are NOT software companies and it’s another example of how ridiculously big-headed they all are these days.
My dad’s 4mo old 2024 Canyon’s battery was dead in my driveway after sitting overnight even after a 3hr drive prior to that. The reason? The vehicle trying to download software to update the vehicle that ultimately dropped the battery to 4.7v. this is a known issue even in the 2023 model and hasn’t been resolved. To make matters worse according to their website these updates, update things like the ECU so while the updates are applied your vehicle is immobilized while the update is applying. I fully expect bricked vehicles in the future.
All this could be resolved by proper engineering. Only download updates while the vehicle is operating, include a resume option and a file hash verification after download had been completed. Active/Passive systems that can also be updated during driving where the update switches the active and passive when the vehicle is off, with the option of rolling back to the old in case there’s a problem. These are some easy, tried and true ways to maintain these so you don’t strand people and not look incompetent.
But hey, it’s GM what am I thinking?
I can’t buy my wife a cheap Trax or Envista because of these software glitches and other things that require numerous dealer visits with a brand new car. For me a Blazer EV or Lyric is totally out of the question until quality control is improved.
Sounds terrific, but we would just like to have the Google assistant operational again. Get that to work right first; THEN you can needlessly overcomplicate other systems, okay?
“120 million lines of code”, “several thousand people ” .. that’s how they approach sw development. Mary Bara has no clue at all.
I’ve worked for gm 40 years this April. I think they r making a grave mistake. I have no intentions of buying a vehicle then pay rent on the options. Gms greed is it worst enemy. Way to go Rodger Bara.