There has been a notable development over a January 2022 deal between e-commerce and cloud giant Amazon and car group Stellantis.
That 2022 deal saw Amazon and Stellantis agree to collaborate to develop cars and trucks with Amazon software incorporated into vehicle infotainment systems and dashboards.
At the time there was speculation the deal could be potential bad news for Rivian, as it meant that Amazon could be the first commercial customer of Stellantis’ Ram ProMaster EV that had been slated for 2023.
Winding down
Rivian it should be remembered had already had a contract to make 100,000 EV vehicles for Amazon by 2030.
Rivian manufactures its vehicles in a former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois, and Amazon’s 2022 deal with Stellantis came as the EV maker was slow at shipping its EV trucks.
But now Reuters has reported that Amazon’s deal with Stellantis to create in-car software that the companies hoped would transform the driving experience while bolstering their vehicle-tech credentials is “winding down.”
According to Reuters, both companies confirmed that the Stellantis SmartCockpit project, which would rely on Amazon’s in-car technology, is the latest example of traditional car makers struggling to work with Silicon Valley to introduce more sophisticated vehicle software.
“Stellantis remains a valuable partner for Amazon, and the companies continue to work together on a range of initiatives,” the companies said in a statement, adding that the decision to end their joint work on SmartCockpit was mutual.
Cockpit software
Stellantis had viewed the Amazon 2022 deal as important, as it was hoping it would give it the needed expertise boost to incorporate Amazon’s technology such as software-powered infotainment features that are connected to the cloud, into its vehicles to pose a challenge to Tesla EVs.
Effectively the two firms had planned to develop features that would make the cars feel like an extension of home by detecting the driver and personalising settings such as the thermostat, navigation and even home automation, like turning on lights.
Stellantis is a car giant group formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA. Its brands include Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Opel, Peugeot and Vauxhall.
