Polestar 2 was the first car in the world to debut with an infotainment system powered by Android Automotive OS in 2019 – a revolutionary, integrated system that brought the superiority and flexibility of Google’s Android OS to a car for the first time.
The open nature of Android enables app developers to produce apps for smartphones, tablets and wearables alike – and now, cars. Launching in beta guise alongside Polestar 2 at Google I/O in 2019, Polestar’s own Android emulator provides app developers with the design templates and app integrations that allow them to develop apps specifically for Polestar 2.
The system has now been updated with Android Automotive OS 10 templates and integrations, in accordance with the latest that is available in Polestar 2.
“The Android system holds enormous potential for cars,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “We see many fun and smart proposals coming from internal and external developers, and our quick route to market means we see apps going from proposal to production relatively quickly. This is one of the key benefits of having Android built into the car – we are able to tap into the creativity and pace of the entire Android development community.”
Since launch, the Android emulator has led to the development and release of apps for Polestar 2 that include EasyPark, ABRP, ChargePoint, Video Player and TV2 Sumo. It has also been used to facilitate two hackathons where the emulator was used instead of physical cars – dramatically reducing potential costs and freeing up potential restrictions involved for developers to test their apps in the car.
SOURCE: Polestar
