Volkswagen and LG to develop next-gen connected car technology

Volkswagen is developing next-generation connectivity technology in partnership with tech giant LG.

The two companies aim to create new connected car technology and systems that allow features at the driver’s home – such as appliances, security and lighting – to be controlled from the car. This new technology will work alongside future infotainment systems.

As well as the ‘smart home’ connectivity, VW and LG are working on location-based connected car services that follow the industry-wide trend of live mapping. This involves sat-nav systems being updated to reflect hazards in the road and other changeable journey conditions. The system is considered a stepping stone towards autonomous vehicles.

Also on the list of targeted innovations is a ‘notification centre’ that, Volkswagen claims, will deliver messages "in an intuitive and safe manner". It's likely to be a smartphone-connected system that allows the driver to access texts, emails and other messages in a way that doesn’t involve reading.

This system could be an evolution of the one that VW-owned Seat showcased alongside its digital museum earlier this year. The Seat system reads the driver’s messages aloud for ‘eyes-free’ smartphone use. In its current evolution, it is available as a feature of Seat’s DriveApp. Seat’s head of connectivity, Lleyre Olavarria, has hinted that the brand plans to pursue such tech features in the future.

The technologies are earmarked to appear on Volkswagen’s crossover platform. This means they could be destined for a range of Volkswagen Group brands, rather than just a VW-badged car. Given Seat’s interest in the technologies being developed by VW and LG, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the upcoming small Seat and VW SUVs were to feature the systems. Mid-sized SUVs from the VW Group, such as the Seat Ateca and Volkswagen Tiguan have all but been ruled out for the tech's debut because of their recent introduction and the imminent arrival of other VW Group SUVs. 

VW and LG have been working together for a number of years but this announcement – which comes shortly after BMW, Intel and Mobileye’s announcement of joint development of autonomous technologies – marks the next step in Volkswagen’s journey towards autonomy.

Further details surrounding the technologies are on their way, so stay tuned to find out more about future tech from VW and LG.