The Japanese government intends to approve a new strategy for the digitization of the automotive industry, within which the national manufacturers will aim to achieve a 30% share of the global market for so-called software-defined vehicles (SDV) by 2030, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.
To achieve this, the authorities plan to encourage cooperation between the companies in three areas: software development, self-driving cars and data use. In particular, the largest Japanese concerns Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and Nissan Motor are already considering such an interaction from 2025.
If the concept is implemented, companies will be able to install common parts and software on their products. The joint development of automotive semiconductors will also be accelerated. In order to develop technologies for driverless driving, the country's authorities are also considering the possibility of creating a new company to operate driverless trucks.
SDVs are cars whose software can be updated over the Internet, adding or removing certain features. China and the US are currently leading the digitalization of cars. Japanese companies currently control about 30% of the global car market, including mostly models with internal combustion engines. However, the share of Japanese electric vehicles is still quite low and amounts to only a few percent. Among electric vehicles, SDV is the most common.