Image Source: WPG 

Integrated Development, Ecosystem Win-Win 

On October 17, 2024, the "Driving to the Future: Booking the Next 15th Five-Year Plan, Galloping into the Future" in-vehicle chip technology roadshow, organized by WPG Holdings and hosted by Gasgoo, successfully concluded at Wuhan Optical Valley. Based on the rapid development of intelligent vehicles, the conference has sparked competition and transformation in the automotive industry. Vehicles are being equipped with increasingly powerful capabilities, such as computing power and interaction functions, with more centralized control and increasingly rich functionalities. 

Image Source: WPG 

As a national optoelectronic information industry base, Wuhan Optical Valley has formed three thousand billion industrial clusters of optoelectronic information, automobiles and parts, and great health, and is actively moving toward a trillion-level industrial cluster. With its unique location advantage, perfect industrial chain supporting and strong innovation ability, it provides solid support for the development of China's on-board chip technology. Steel mechanical structure to achieve the basic functions of the car, to mechatronics to improve safety and performance, and then to the current development of the vehicle "SIEC" - Software, Intelligent, Electrified, Connected, technology has been defining the role of the car, and the role of the chip will become more prominent. 

WPG Holdings China President | Shen Weizhong (Image Source: WPG) 

"Chip" Technology is Driving a Change 

At the beginning of the conference, Shen Weizhong, President of WPG Holdings China, delivered the opening speech. Shen mentioned that, in the face of the global trend of the "New Four Modernizations" of automobiles, the core automotive technologies are gradually shifting from power system technologies to chip technologies. WPG Holdings is committed to working with various companies to collaboratively address the optimization of the automotive chip supply chain, creating a new landscape of self-reliance, strength, and self-sufficiency in automotive chips. He also expressed his hope that this roadshow would establish an open, collaborative, and shared platform to promote communication and cooperation between upstream and downstream players in the industry chain, advancing the innovation and practical application of in-vehicle chip technologies. 

Carota Co-Founder, CTO, and General Manager of China | Jacky Zhang (Image Source: WPG) 

Software Empowering the Intelligent Driving Ecosystem

As a leading global enterprise in the automotive software industry, Carota was invited to attend the conference. The company’s co-founder, Chief Technology Officer, and General Manager for China, Jacky Zhang, delivered a speech themed "Building a Connected Vehicle Software Subscription Service System." 

Jacky Zhang noted that under multiple pressures, including the slowdown in automobile market growth, intensifying industry competition, and rising raw material costs, the traditional hardware profit model has become increasingly unsustainable. Automakers are urgently seeking new profit models. At the same time, with increasingly rich hardware configurations, consumers' demands for vehicles are becoming more diverse and personalized. Faced with a rapidly changing market environment, automakers are exploring new vehicle sales models through multiple software "subscription services," such as autonomous driving optional packages, over-the-air (OTA) paid upgrades, and connected car functions. This exploration of the "paid subscription" model aims to enhance user loyalty and discover new profit growth points.

An ecosystem of subscription services powered by chips 

Carota's subscription-based service meets the differentiated needs of vehicles through software, offering car owners a personalized driving experience. The automotive industry is evolving from traditional transportation tools into a new “smart terminal” that combines hardware and software, much like smartphones, which are defined by software and continually upgraded through over-the-air (OTA) updates. This allows car owners to interact intelligently with their vehicles, creating a “unique experience for each car.” 

In recent years, automakers have come to realize that "soft power will determine future success or failure." Under the concept of “software-defined vehicles,” continuous upgrades via OTA and the emergence of subscription-based services have transformed the automotive business model from a one-time transaction to ongoing services. This shift introduces a new profitability model throughout the vehicle’s entire life cycle, fundamentally reshaping how car companies are valued. 

Carota trusted computing foundation software introduction 

Within the ecosystem of chip-driven subscription services, the security chip serves as a deterrent against unauthorized access and acts as a pivotal gateway for smart driving and intelligent cabin functionalities. Carota's software subscription service is anchored in an HSM root of trust, employing quantum security algorithms alongside chip-level physical anti-cloning technologies. The trusted computing framework represents a forward-thinking approach to security technology that prioritizes protection, ensuring data integrity, application reliability, network authenticity, secure access, and operating system credibility—significantly enhancing overall security levels. This foundation provides a robust chip-level trusted computing infrastructure for automotive information security and functional safety while establishing an integrated security system that synergizes both software and hardware. 

Facing the new trends and forms of the automotive industry characterized by "new, smart, cooperative, and competitive," Carota is firmly committed to the long-term. The wave of intelligence aims to leverage OTA (over-the-air) thinking to support the innovative development of the intelligent vehicle industry. Carota collaborates with partners across various sectors, efficiently integrating internal and external resources to overcome collaboration barriers and information silos across upstream and downstream sectors. This enhances the efficiency of industry chain collaboration, promotes the construction and layout of the industry ecosystem, and achieves integrated development and a win-win ecosystem.