Blog from April, 2024

In the spring of 2014, what was then called GENIVI, held an All Member Meeting (AMM) in Gothenburg, Sweden for the first time. And on the 10th anniversary of that AMM, COVESA returned to Gothenburg for its spring AMM welcoming over 265 members and guests to its two-and-a-half-day event (see pictures). We are very grateful to the following sponsors for helping make the event such a success:

Much has happened in those ten years! The organization has rebranded, shifted its scope from IVI to connected vehicles, released the compelling Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS) along with other important deliverables, and welcomed an expanded set of contributing members, including four OEMs who weren’t involved in 2014. 

The event highlighted a business track addressing open source in safety applications, commercial vehicles and fleet management, and the software-defined vehicle. In addition to several introductory sessions, technical presentations, and breakouts helped advance the current and emerging work of COVESA.

Experts from Ford, RedHat, and Volvo Cars addressed how open source software can (and must) be certified for vehicle safety systems. As a regional hub for commercial vehicle technologies and companies, Gothenburg provided a unique opportunity to discuss business models and technologies among several heavy-duty vehicle companies as well as fleet/rental car experts. Leaders from BMW, ETAS, Volvo Cars, Continental, NXP, and Sonatus also weighed in on how the vehicle ecosystem and individual companies need to address the shift toward software-defined vehicles.

The Data Expert Group and the AOSP App Framework Expert Group both had productive sessions addressing developments already underway as well as new projects producing chartered deliverables. Three emerging activities, called Birds-of-a-Feather or BoFs, met to define industry needs in areas of Connected Safety, Fleet Management and Vehicle Experience/Commerce.

COVESA also welcomed informative exchanges with regional communities like the Electrification Hub and Telematics Valley. Participants of these communities enjoyed, along with all event participants, a Tuesday evening rooftop welcome reception and the member showcase and reception on Wednesday evening. During the showcase, COVESA introduced the Innovator/Adopter/Contributor Award program, and three organizations – Mavi.io, Renesas, and Tietoevry - were selected to receive the award during the showcase. Stay tuned for a separate blog describing this program in more detail.

In summary, COVESA’s return to Gothenburg was a huge success based on the opinions of those who attended. Slides for several presentations will become available on the Wiki in the coming days. Plans are already in progress for our fall AMM in Novi, Michigan, on 25-26 September. We look forward to seeing you there!

We are happy to announce work on Vehicle Information Service Specification (VISS), an API for accessing the COVESA Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS) data, and Vehicle Information Service Specification Reference Implementation (VISSR) will continue in COVESA. Version 2.0 is available now.

VISS is an API for accessing COVESA Vehicle Signal Specification data. The work started at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in collaboration with GENIVI and its successor COVESA. The W3C Automotive Working Group closed in February of 2024.  

Common vehicle data models and interfaces are at the heart of and imperative for enabling innovation and new business models for Connected Vehicles, Software Defined Vehicles, and mobility. VISS (API) and VSS (model) are available to meet today’s challenges.

At the COVESA Spring AMM in Gothenburg, Sweden, the following sessions will focus on VISS:

Wednesday, April 17

• 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM: Common Vehicle Interfaces Working Session - New features proposal for next version of VISSv2

Thursday, April 18

• 10:15 - 10:45 AM: Empowering Digital Services
• 1:15 - 2:00 PM: Vehicle Information Service Specification Consent Model
• 2:30 - 3:15 PM: Vehicle Information Service Specification Feeder Domain Conversion Explained and Demonstrated

Regular calls will start after the AMM (date/time TBD). Please join us to collaborate, and contribute.

Excitement is building in the global automotive community as we edge closer to the COVESA Annual Member Meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, from April 16-18. We’re spotlighting an integral part of our collaborative efforts: the Birds of a Feather Groups (BoF).

At the core of COVESA's efforts is the belief in the strength of collaboration. COVESA members spearhead a variety of collaborative groups and projects to advance the mobility ecosystem and accelerate the development of connected vehicle systems. These projects push innovation and provide the industry with critical guidance, specifications, and open-source licensed software. This collective effort equips the automotive sector with the necessary tools and materials for developing commercial solutions that pave the way for the future of mobility.

Spotlight on Birds of a Feather Groups

The Birds of a Feather Groups (BoF) allow members to delve into specific areas of interest within the automotive sector, from in-vehicle commerce and payments to the use of VSS for commercial vehicle fleets to connected safety.

Key Sessions to Look Forward To:

Wednesday, April 17

• 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM: Commercial Vehicle BoF Working Session - Coordination with Other CV Organizations
• 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM: Commercial Vehicle BoF Working Session - Extending VSS to Commercial Vehicles (w/ VSS group)
• 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Connected Safety Birds of a Feather Working Session

Thursday, April 18

• 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM: Payments Birds of A Feather Working Session

Don't miss this chance to join a community actively defining the next era of automotive innovation. Check out the full agenda and register today!

Not part of COVESA? Becoming a member of COVESA opens the door to unparalleled opportunities for collaboration. One of the most significant benefits of membership is the chance to collaborate with fellow members!