2024 Presentations for Investors by Germany’s Three Major Automakers

After reviewing Hyundai Motor’s 2024 CEO Investor Day, I became curious about the 2024 presentations from Germany’s three major automakers (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and the Volkswagen Group), so I decided to look them up. These materials provide a clear insight into each company’s current and future strategies. While not entirely detailed, they offer enough information to understand the direction each company is heading.

 

Now, let’s take a closer look at them one by one.

 

As someone interested in software, I will capture and briefly discuss the parts related to SDV (Software-Defined Vehicles). For readers interested in other aspects, you can refer to each company’s presentation materials or videos through the links below

Mercedes-Benz

You can find regularly updated materials at https://group.mercedes-benz.com/investors/events/presentations/.

 

These are the topics currently being actively developed internally. In addition, the presentation also mentions their autonomous driving strategy and partnership with NVIDIA. It also covers overall sales, revenue, and investments.

BMW

Unlike Mercedes-Benz, I couldn’t find a single consolidated page for BMW, but the 2024 materials could be found at https://www.bmwgroup.com/content/dam/grpw/websites/bmwgroup_com/ir/downloads/en/2024/investor-presentation/BMW_Investor_Presentation_2024.pdf.

 

It can be seen that the system is broadly divided into three categories: Infotainment OS, ADAS OS, and Driving OS. According to the materials below, OS 8.5 is based on Linux, while OS 9 runs on AOSP (Android Open Source Project). Linux still appears to be used as the base platform under the name Node0.

Volkswagen Group

The Volkswagen Group, which owns multiple car brands such as Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen, mentions that Cariad, its software company, is continuing its efforts to establish itself as a core entity and has undergone restructuring. You can access the materials at https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/publications/presentations/volkswagen-group-presentation-analyst-and-investor-conference-2024-2678.

 

In 2023, CARIAD focused on restructuring and platform strategies, but for 2024, the emphasis appears to have shifted more towards software, architecture, and preparing in earnest for SDV (Software-Defined Vehicles). Looking at the CARIAD recruitment site, there are dedicated SDV-related teams, and they are actively hiring in this area.

Summary

The overall automotive industry is pursuing slightly different strategies for SDV, but they share a common focus on prioritizing software. While electric vehicles and autonomous driving have slowed down somewhat, they remain the ultimate direction for the industry.

 

These materials are helpful for understanding the broader market and are worth reviewing periodically—quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.”