Automotive Supplier Continental Adds Google Tech to Vehicle Dashboards

Continental is the latest car company to incorporate Google technology in its products.

The partnership will see the auto supplier add Google Cloud services to its vehicle dashboard system, letting drivers ask the automobile for help, Reuters reported Monday (Sept. 4).

The two companies demonstrated the technology at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, Germany, the report said, and they will use artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a dialogue system in Continental’s high-performance computer. The tech can assist drivers with things like information about sights on the road or about the vehicle itself.

The partnership is one of many between automakers and Big Tech, per the report. Companies are eager to put their software into vehicle cockpits as connected cars become more popular.

These efforts demonstrate that each part of the ecosystem — payments firms, software providers, dealers and automakers themselves — are searching for value in allowing vehicles to connect with all facets of everyday commerce and social interaction.

“The digital enablement goes well beyond the confines of buying gas, or paying for convenience store purchases or knowing where a favored coffee shop might be down a stretch of highway,” PYMNTS reported in January. “The connectivity can make it easier to get the vehicle in the first place, to keep it serviced and running, and yes, keep top lines growing.”

In March, General Motors (GM) enlisted Google to assist with creating infotainment systems for electric vehicles, with the car giant shifting away from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems beginning with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer.

That collaboration followed one from February, in which Mercedes-Benz announced a long-term strategic partnership with Google based around navigation and entertainment.

The companies said they would begin by giving Mercedes-Benz customers access to Google’s Place Details function, which provides information about more than 200 million businesses, including business hours, photos, ratings and reviews, around the world.

Soon after the announcement, PYMNTS’ Karen Webster and Mercedes pay CEO Nico Kersten discussed the debut of the carmaker’s in-car payment service, Mercedes pay+, created to allow customers to pay for digital services and upgrades using a fingerprint sensor in the vehicle.

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