Mainstream consumers typically do not know the Linux operating system powers their email service, favorite websites, television sets, and even their mobile phones and computers in some cases. Now, Wind River Linux is making inroads into the operation of electric-powered cars.
The commercial embedded Linux developer, headquartered in Alameda, Calif., delivers software for mission-critical intelligent systems. It is helping to accelerate digital transformation across industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and telecommunications. Its Linux tools and lifecycle services for automotive use help manufacturers build and support intelligent edge solutions.
“The role of software is increasingly important for the automobile industry. Linux software can unlock new possibilities to grow value for both car makers and consumers,” Avijit Sinha, chief product officer at Wind River, told LinuxInsider.
Wind River Linux can help automotive innovators implement modernized development frameworks that leverage AI in the cloud and at the edge. Combined with software lifecycle management capabilities, it enables them to accelerate their innovations and drive the realization of software-defined vehicles forward, he explained.
Open Source Advancement Fuels EV Technology
Wind River recently partnered with two up-and-coming Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to integrate innovative Linux technology. Both electric car makers hope to use Linux to speed their entry into competing with established gas-engine auto manufacturers in Europe and North America.
Mobility technology brand Zeekr and Horizon New Energy Automobile Co., also known as Hozon or NETA Auto, are relative newcomers to the EV industry. Zeekr, founded in 2021, transitioned to the European market in Sweden and the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of 2023. Hozon, founded in 2014, produced its first concept car in 2017 and opened a research center in California’s Silicon Valley in 2018.
Zeekr’s design goal is to create a fully integrated user ecosystem. Its technology utilizes sustainable experience architecture (SEA), including its own battery technologies, battery management systems, electric motor technologies, and electric vehicle supply chains.
The company’s name is a composite of three concepts about non-gasoline engines:
- “ZE” stands for Zero, as in the starting point of infinite possibilities.
- “E” represents evolving the electric era.
- “KR” references Krypton, a rare gas that emits light when electrified.
Hozon selected Wind River Linux to develop the Hozon Automotive Intelligent Security Vehicle Platform, according to an Oct. 10 announcement. The platform is a hardware and software framework for high-performance computing gateways and vehicle control scheduled to go into production starting in 2025. It integrates open-source frameworks and tools, enabling the rapid development and deployment of software applications.
