AWS.
Honda Motor Company.
There’s news about these two. Let’s get right into it.
This week, AWS announced that it is collaborating with Honda to transition its automobiles into software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
Specifically, Honda will be using its Digital Proving Ground (DPG) platform — a vehicle development environment already built on AWS — to help build out these SDVs. By combining Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), along with specific Internet of Things (IoT) and generative AI (GenAI) capabilities, Honda will be able to a.) enhance its data lake built on AWS, and b.) accelerate its delivery of new electric vehicle (EV)/SDV solutions for the road ahead.
Interesting, to be sure. As we know, cloud-connected SDVs provide solid opportunities for automakers like Honda to improve safety and security measures, as well as “infotainment” and convenience-focused bells and whistles. Additionally, SDVs open doors for further vehicle customizations based on drivers’ habits and preferences; often via over-the-air (OTA) updates that don’t necessitate physical parts replacements or other like modifications.
Further long-story-short details include:
- Honda’s DPG platform allows it to gather valuable data that helps estimate EV driving range, visualize vehicle energy consumption and overall performance, schedule preventative maintenance, etc. With scalable, cost-effective infrastructure (courtesy of AWS), Honda can build upon these while also reducing its dependence on hardware by enabling engineers to design and test vehicles in the cloud before they’re even physically built (i.e. digital twins), which can lead to faster development timelines and cost-saving opportunities.
- With AWS IoT services and Amazon Kinesis Video Streams at its disposal, Honda can provide continuous software updates and utilize fully managed services for streaming live video from devices, ideally leading to smarter video processing and vehicle analytics applications. (Per the official announcement, “this under-development tech aims to analyze and store important car camera footage, using machine learning to detect abnormal movement outside the vehicle. For example, if implemented, this new feature could alert drivers to take corrective action to help avoid collisions or damage to the vehicle.”)
- We also mentioned GenAI. In that vein, Honda can use AWS’ GenAI-based services to guide drivers to optimal charging stations based on their current location data, remaining battery and charging speed, for instance. (Amazon Bedrock has a role to play here, too.) Also, Honda can enable secure, two-way communication between internet-connected devices and the cloud, and drivers may be able to automatically prompt searches for charging stations with filters regarding distance/tolls, payments, etc.
“The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic shift to digitization,” stated Ozgur Tohumcu, Director of Automotive and Manufacturing at AWS. “Vehicles now function as intelligent, connected platforms on wheels, not just stand-alone machines. Generative AI and IoT services will help automakers develop new features while bringing new models to consumers faster and more cost-effectively. We look forward to collaborating closely with Honda Motor Company to help them realize their vision for safe, high-performing, smart vehicles.”
Learning from innovators like those at AWS is a great opportunity. Seize it by attending Generative AI Expo 2025! This will be taking place from February 11-13 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There, experts from AWS will be speaking about developing responsible GenAI applications, general best practices and much more. Consider registering here.
Edited by
Greg Tavarez
