GM Aspires to Provide New In-Vehicle Experience with ‘Ultifi’

DETROIT – General Motors is broadening the experience customers are able to have in their vehicles with a new software platform.

Mobile devices todays are often near fully customizable, with different setting and apps that can be installed to make the experience even more personal. Similarly, GM’s new software platform, Ultifi, will give owners the ability to update and personalize their vehicles. This is one of the ideas presented in the “Introducing Ultifi” video – part of this year’s “The Ultium Effect” video series.

Gary Cygan, software defined vehicle director, said this new platform sits above the vehicle intelligence platform. Within the vehicle, Ultifi will permit communication with applications.

“Not only will drivers receive regular updates that give them access to new feature content to personalize and update their vehicle, but also drivers will have the ability to access an app store,” he said.

Cygan said an example of this is Max Power mode. This will be an update that customers may download to their vehicles to improve its acceleration.

Additionally, themes will be available for download to vehicles. Themes will enable drivers to customize features such as lighting, music, sounds and seating positions.

Ultifi is being designed with developers in-mind, Cygan said. He said since they are working on a platform that is easiest to develop, creativity and content delivery from many third-party developers will be unbarred. “Ultifi is really going to change the way people view their cars,” Cygan said. “We’re really excited about the future here because we’re setting the platform up so that feature content – things we haven’t even though of – can be developed and deployed very very quickly.”

Click here for more videos from GM’s YouTube page.

Source: General Motors

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.