How Automotive Storage Solutions Power Smart Vehicle Technology

Software-defined smart vehicles are revolutionizing the automotive industry, shifting the modern automobile from a hardware-driven product to a software-centric machine on wheels. Today’s premium vehicles can now contain up to 150 million lines of code, integrated across hundreds of electronic control units, sensors, cameras, LiDAR systems, and more. In fact, the Automotive IoT market in the UK is projected to grow by 8.80% between 2025 and 2029.

In an era increasingly driven by artificial intelligence (AI), smart vehicles are harnessing the power of technology to deliver numerous advanced capabilities. They will be able (and in some cases already are able) to analyze massive amounts of data to optimize functions like engine control and safety systems.

Central to this evolution, however, is embedded AI, where real-time data processing can take place directly within the vehicle. However, implementing AI in the vehicle requires a fundamental change in design, as small but powerful, high-capacity memory to effectively store and process the data for this analysis to take place.
 

How Hardware Responds To New Software Demands?

The rapid technological advancements driving smarter vehicles are, therefore, transforming the storage landscape. As sensors, 5G connectivity, AI, and machine learning propel the development of connected and increasingly autonomous vehicles, automotive storage innovations will be crucial to meeting these growing demands. For automakers, this calls for thoughtfully designed systems that can meet the performance, reliability and capacity demands of a software-centric automotive future. With data-intensive systems becoming the norm, robust in-vehicle networks will be required to handle large data volumes efficiently while offering scalability to remain futureproof.

Traditionally, most storage capacity has been consumed by the operating system (OS), application software and log data. However, with the shift to centralized, high-performance computing systems in smart vehicles, the size of both OS and application software will only continue to expand. Additionally, over-the-air (OTA) updates will necessitate extra storage for ongoing maintenance and upgrades after the vehicle is delivered. Therefore, planning for future storage capacity needs is crucial. While a 128 GB storage solution may suffice today, capacities of 256 GB or more may soon be required, thanks to advanced vehicle storage technology.

As AI computing shifts from centralized systems to the vehicles themselves (the edge), the resulting read- and write-intensive workloads will influence not only storage capacity requirements but also new considerations regarding performance. Various storage interfaces are available, including eMMC, UFS (universal flash storage), and NVMe™ PCIe®. The selection of an interface often depends on the system-on-chip that often supports only one or two of these options. For instance, while NVMe PCIe offers high speed, it is less efficient as a boot device, making UFS or eMMC more suitable for this kind of function.
 

Changing Storage Preferences In A Smarter World

UFS has become the preferred storage solution for many smart vehicle applications, offering higher data throughput and faster read and write sequences, along with substantial storage capacity. Initially designed for mobile devices, UFS brings next-generation vehicles the advantages of its evolution and optimization within the mobile industry, a sector known for its rigorous technical requirements and extensive data processing demands. In addition to delivering superior data transfer speeds and capacity, UFS also presents the opportunity for an industry-standard platform, marking a key advancement in automotive storage innovations.

In addition to performance and capacity, data reliability is crucial. Storage drives must be extremely durable to withstand harsh environments, including vibration and potential impacts. Predictive maintenance technologies enable automakers to monitor storage health and performance in real time, allowing them to identify and address potential issues before they become problems.
 

Harnessing The Power Of Data-Intensive Applications

For all these new and exciting features offered by innovative smart vehicles, data are critical. Vehicles that increasingly rely on AI for their intelligent decision-making will need huge amounts of data to train AI models. As software-defined cars may not always have reliable internet connections for cloud computing, embedded AI will remove the need for network connectivity. This means, however, that huge amounts of data must be stored in the vehicle itself.

As cars and other vehicles become smarter, they will function as platforms within the IoT, with the ability to enhance connectivity, enable autonomous driving, improve safety and security, and adjust settings to best suit the needs of its drivers and passengers. This, like other smart applications, is very data intensive. For instance, smart vehicles can adjust temperature settings, navigation, seat reclining, or entertainment settings automatically. Some vehicles may even change driving settings from normal to sport to eco based on driver preferences. For these vehicles to provide personalized experiences, accessible data on users and their preferences is key.

A further benefit of software-defined vehicles will be the enhanced maintenance capabilities that reduce dependence on mechanics, garages, and other service experts. While current cars alert drivers when an issue requires attention, smart vehicles take this a step further by proactively identifying potential malfunctions before they become serious problems, enhancing performance and extending vehicle lifespan. In many cases, OTA software updates can be addressed automatically, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

Equipped with sensors and embedded AI, these vehicles also enjoy enhanced safety features. They can detect and warn drivers and passengers about real-time hazards, such as traffic congestion or obstacles on the road. In some vehicles, these systems will even be capable of taking corrective action, such as steering away from a hazard or bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop, providing a more secure driving experience.

Despite the advanced features, vehicle design must remain sleek and attractive to meet the expectations of modern drivers. Therefore, storage and computing hardware must not only be highly powerful but also compact, ensuring that technological integration does not compromise the vehicle’s aesthetic or design.
 

The Impact Of Smart Vehicles On The Automotive Landscape

The rapid growth of onboard software is set to transform the entire automotive industry. For drivers, this means vehicles that are more responsive, customizable, and capable of handling greater portions of the driving process as we move closer to fully autonomous cars.

With increasingly intelligent vehicles, AI-powered analytics could one day significantly enhance road safety. Additionally, real-time data processing may lead to more efficient traffic management, reducing congestion in cities and improving the overall driving experience.

At the core, these advancements result in a demand for massive amounts of data, making robust onboard embedded storage an essential component in powering the future of smart vehicles.