NVIDIA Says Built-In Infotainment Processor Offers Superior Experience

NOVI, MI – Technology company NVIDIA has ambitious goals when it comes to the fast-growing automotive telematics market.

The Santa Clara, CA-based company provides the graphic processing unit that powers Audi’s “Audi Connect” infotainment system, and plans call for the technology to roll out in other Volkswagen Group vehicles, including the Skoda Octavia and VW Golf.

Next year, NVIDIA will supply similar technology for BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles.

The supplier is taking a different approach to infotainment than some players, focusing on dedicated built-in systems, rather than those integrated with portable devices consumers bring into the vehicle.

Danny Shapiro, NVIDIA director-automotive group, says an embedded infotainment system has its advantages.

“There’s a tendency for people to want to rely on somebody’s phone, which has some capabilities, but you’re not getting the same level of integration,” he tells WardsAuto in an interview at the Telematics Detroit conference here.

NVIDIA’s Tegra processor powering the Audi system allows for advanced 3D graphics of buildings and cities, as well as real-time traffic reporting and navigation information.

It also runs Google Earth, displaying actual images along a given route and final destination on the console-mounted display screen.

While smartphones offer similar features, their graphic capability is not on par with the NVIDIA software and integration can be difficult, Shapiro says.

“The challenge becomes tying into all these different types of cell phones,” he says. “How do you integrate it back into the experience for the driver themselves and have it be seamless? I think a lot of auto makers are looking for an easier route, or less costly route, to rely on a cell phone.”

Cost of the NVIDIA-powered system is unclear. Audi Connect, for example, is offered only as part of a “Premium Plus” option package costing $4,220 and including a number of additional features.

There’s also a cost with bringing data into the vehicle. Unlike systems tied to smartphones, Audi Connect requires an individual data plan through cellular service provider T-Mobile.

Shapiro expects T-Mobile ultimately to offer a bundled data-subscription package that will allow vehicle service to piggyback off the owners cell-phone plan and notes Audi provides several months’ free service at the time the car is purchased.

He says the additional cost does not deter customers. “There’s a lot of talk about the younger generation and what they’re interested in and expect, and I think they’re willing to invest in better technology.”

Some auto makers say syncing with portable technology allows them to keep pace with new technology and features. But Shapiro says the NVIDIA system can be upgraded with a trip to the dealership, where the graphic-processing unit can be swapped out easily for a newer model.

“The hardware leads with the capabilities and the software catches up to take advantage of those capabilities,” he says. “We’re essentially helping to future-proof the car, extend its useful life, by putting the processor inside.”

While the system is more costly than some competitors, it still could find its way into lower-cost vehicles because its processor has the power to handle a number of additional features, including collision avoidance, lane-departure warning and blind-spot detection.

Philip Hughes, director-automotive sales and business development, says that could make it attractive to auto makers offering lower-cost cars in developing markets.

“On a chip or module basis, (NVIDIA’s processor) may be more expensive than any individual module currently,” he says. “But when you look at combining all of those and taking the weight, wiring, and validation and design costs away, we can bring big savings at a system level.

“Integration is how we will drive our solutions down to (emerging-market) applications.”

Ultimately, whether consumers will want all of the infotainment features possible remains a question. Ford, which relies on portable devices to power its Sync infotainment system, says research shows car buyers are interested only in a handful of features.

“Data shows the main desire of a customer is the ability to simply access a phone book and make a call and play music,” Ford spokesman Alan Hall tells WardsAuto. “We’re still seeing that those are by far the top two uses customers want, and so that’s why we think Sync has been really successful in the marketplace.”

Sync, at $295 as a stand-alone option, is affordable and will become more so as Ford begins to offer it as standard on some models, Hall says. “You already own the device, paid for it, spent time putting in all your address information, downloaded music and customized it with your apps, and you want to use that.”

Embedded solutions do have their place, he says, pointing to a system that allows owners of the electric Focus to access vehicle information via a smartphone app. The Focus EV, as well as the upcoming Fusion and C-Max plug-in vehicles, all have embedded processors including a wireless modem.

“There are specific use cases for embedded solutions, and we have those,” Hall says.

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