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Carota Breaks into the SDV Blueprint of Carmax

SDV (Software-Defined Vehicles) marks a significant transformation in the automotive world, shifting from traditional cars with hundreds of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) and hardware-based functions to intelligent systems that can evolve and update over time. Carota, a leading OTA (Over-the-Air) solutions brand, began collaborating with Carmax in 2019 and officially entered their SDV blueprint in 2023.

 

The rise of SDV stems from three key automotive industry trends: electrification, automation, and connectivity. These trends meet modern driving needs while forging a closer relationship between OEMs and customers. 

The Key Benefits of SDV for Automakers

 

Operational Efficiency

Revenue Growth Potential

SDV simplifies vehicle development processes, reducing the research, development, and launch cycles for new cars. 

Through subscription-based services and continuous updates via OTA, SDVs open new revenue opportunities for manufacturers. Regular OTA updates also significantly reduce the need for costly recalls. 

Competitive Differentiation

Customer Loyalty

SDVs provide an innovative feature platform, enabling brands to stand out in a competitive market and deliver value propositions that resonate with new-generation car owners. 

Software updates and personalized features attract customer attention and increase trust in OEMs.

Challenges 

 

With the benefits come significant challenges. The automotive industry faces the following obstacles during the transition to SDV: 

  • A New Supply Chain Landscape: Traditionally, OEMs sourced ECUs from tier-one suppliers, with associated software tailored to specific ECUs. However, SDV transforms the supply chain into a completely different ecosystem. OEMs can now freely select from various software vendors. The supply chain shifts from hardware-integrated proprietary software to a hardware-and-software ecosystem. This change reduces the required number of ECUs and enables customers to customize their systems. Moreover, this shift means that more tech companies can finally enter the previously impenetrable automotive supply chain. 

  

 

Carota’s Services for Carmax 

Carota has helped Carmax manage OTA-enabled hardware by acting as an integrated single point of contact to oversee and track the entire OTA process. In the future, within Carmax’s SDV blueprint, Carota will play a more critical role and create greater service value.  

 E/E Architecture: SDVs require an E/E (Electrical/Electronic) architecture to handle vast amounts of data, ensuring seamless in-vehicle communication while minimizing latency. 

Security: As more software is introduced into vehicles, cyberattack risks also increase. SDV developers must focus on designing secure vehicles to protect personal data and ensure that vehicles operate as intended. 

 

Carota is a global one-stop provider of OTA (Over-The-Air) upgrade and remote diagnostic solutions, as well as Taiwan's largest provider of fleet image management services.

https://www.carota.ai/│https://fleet.carota.ai/ 

 

Founded in 2002, CARMAX is a subsidiary of HOTAI Motor Corporation, the leading automobile accessories seller and the only provider of TOYOTA Genuine Accessories in Taiwan. Major operations of CARMAX include design, research, development, planning, distributing, and after-sales services for TOYOTA and LEXUS vehicles. Besides the operations mentioned above, CARMAX also conducts product design, centralized installation and after-sales services for vehicles, which are produced and exported to GCC countries by KUOZUI Motors.