Hyperdrive
Toyota Positions to Take On Tesla in High-Tech Auto Software
- Manufacturer’s Arene system allows for over-the-air updates
- Tesla owners can already upgrade their car’s software remotely
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Toyota Motor Corp. is tapping a star Silicon Valley roboticist to help put the final touches on an operating system it says will go up against Tesla Inc.’s.
Called Arene, the system allows new features to be installed in a car’s existing hardware over the air and provides a platform for developers to create software. It’s being developed by Toyota’s new technology research arm Woven Planet Holdings Inc., led by Chief Executive Officer James Kuffner, a former Google engineer.