Automotive solutions

Build the future of driving with software-defined vehicles

Today’s digital era creates a unique opportunity for auto manufacturers to provide higher levels of safety, explore new use cases, and differentiate themselves with personalized driving experiences. Vehicle manufacturers can accelerate innovation with open source, Linux®-based technologies from Red Hat.

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Redefine what vehicles can do

Drivers want their vehicles to be as intuitive and interactive as the mobile devices they depend on. To keep pace with these rising expectations, automakers are looking for ways 
to speed up development and continuously serve drivers with new and exciting features—and to do so profitably. 

However, as cars become increasingly software-driven, dependencies between hardware and software can become a challenge to manage when trying to meet these goals. Coupled with vendor lock-in inherent in traditional platforms, automakers often find it hard to focus on the next generation of premium features and connected services that will set them apart in the market and open up new business models. 

Right now, advancements in electrification, autonomous driving, and seamless connectivity are ushering in the era of the software-defined vehicle. It will be the adoption of flexible, software-driven technologies that will accelerate innovation and enhance the vehicle’s full digital life cycle. 

Through a breadth of capabilities both on board and off board, Red Hat can support the digital transformation that forms the foundation of the software-defined vehicle. 

Transform each step of the vehicle life cycle

Today, leading automakers are evolving quickly to accommodate changing customer preferences and emerging technologies. Red Hat supports vehicle manufacturers’ goals of getting to market faster and adopting new business models through:

  • Accelerating transformation with an open source, enterprise-grade, Linux-based in-vehicle platform that supports safety- and non-safety-related applications. 
  • Empowering safer, intelligent vehicles with cutting-edge onboard and off-board solutions that adapt to evolving needs and technologies, enhancing driving experience and safety while increasing reliability.
  • Building expansive ecosystems and a common approach to standards through the power of the open source community that meets changing automotive business needs.
  • Supporting the vehicle’s digital life cycle with an enterprise-grade, long-term support model.

Open source in the driver's seat

Red Hat and GM are collaborating to advance automotive technology at the edge with software-defined vehicles that run on the Red Hat In-Vehicle Operating System.

Automotive experience

Real-world customer success

Volkswagen reduces testing costs by 50%

Volkswagen created a testing environment that combines virtual and real-life testing to facilitate component integrations, introduce self-service provisioning, and reduce costs for system tests by 50%.

BMW Group races to automated driving

BMW’s new data platform, created using Red Hat® software, helped reduce development time with faster, more accurate driving simulations and data analytics.

Audi creates a multicloud foundation for services

Audi created a stable, scalable environment for innovative development across cloud platforms that helped the company reduce time to market and increase responsiveness to demand.

See how Red Hat is taking the lead

Running containers inside software-defined vehicles


In the rapidly evolving landscape of software-defined vehicles, containers are emerging as an integral component. To meet the specific requirements of container use in cars, Red Hat has been in discussions with key players and is working to combine the best of both worlds: cars and the cloud.

Fueling automotive innovation through open source collaboration


Learn how an open source in-vehicle operating system (OS), running as a horizontal software platform, empowers rapid innovation. 

Red Hat to deliver the first continuously certified Linux platform for vehicles


Red Hat is preparing for ISO 26262 certification, an international standard governing the functional safety of electronic systems on road vehicles.