It will do this using a subset of RHEL 9 to power Ultifi, GM’s end-to-end software platform. The goal is to eventually make a smart car that incorporates all the abilities of your smartphone and more. Like Tesla, Ultifi-powered GM cars will frequently update their software-defined features online. If that sounds odd to you, well, say hello to the 2020s. As Chris Wright, Red Hat’s CTO, said at Red Hat Summit, “It was just over a decade ago that Marc Andreessen pointed out that software was eating our business. We can update his quote to be more accurate: ‘Software has taken over our businesses.’” So, GM, founded in 1908, is now a software company. While gearheads will care more about the latest fifth-generation small-block Chevrolet V8 6.2L* engines, the cars’ new software features will make a difference to most drivers. In the beginning, the fundamental changes will be invisible to drivers. With the integration of the Red Hat In-Vehicle Operating System into the Ultifi platform, the first changes will be:
Reduced costs from consolidation and reuse of software across a common platform.An improved development cycle for faster time-to-market with new customer features and software improvements.Continuous functional safety certification for systems related to safety applications.Creation of new services, business models, and revenue streams.
Ultifi will launch in 2023. That means you’ll see the Red Hat Linux-powered cars in the 2024 model year. You can expect the first improvements to be in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). This is not self-driving car technology. Instead, it will bring safety improvements to such systems as pedestrian detection/avoidance, lane departure warning/correction, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot detection. Linux has always been one of the safest end-user operating systems. Now, it’s on its way to a safer driver operating system.
