Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio is once again making a significant impact in the EV industry with its latest innovations. At the Nio IN 2023 Innovation Day event held in Shanghai, the company introduced SkyOS, China’s first operating system designed for smart electric vehicles, and opened an App Store specifically designed for the smart cockpits of its vehicles. These developments represent a significant step forward in improving user experience and vehicle connectivity.
SkyOS: A Look at the Future of Electric Vehicle Technology
SkyOS is Nio’s comprehensive space operating system, described as the “1+4+N” technology cluster. This system covers vehicle control, intelligent driving, cockpit functionality, mobile connectivity and more and sets a new standard in the electric vehicle industry. It is designed to support a variety of operating system requirements, providing a safe and reliable foundation for both the cockpit and autonomous driving domains.
When we get into technical details, the “1” in “1+4+N” represents SkyOS-H, a hypervisor, while the “4” refers to four subsystems: SkyOS-M, a microkernel-based system; SkyOS-L is a lightweight and reliable system; SkyOS-R is designed for high performance and complex scenarios; and SkyOS-C, a customized system based on Android. ‘N’ represents the middleware of SkyOS, which is dedicated to various areas such as artificial intelligence framework, sensor framework, power management, and networking.
This complex system underscores Nio’s commitment to integrating a wide range of devices for efficient collaboration. The company has already mass-produced some SkyOS middleware through its first-generation platform NT 1.0 and SkyOS-L through its second-generation NT 2.0 platform. The upcoming NT 3.0-based platform will include the entire SkyOS, promising a seamless and enhanced user experience.
Nio’s In-Car App Store
Nio’s innovations are not limited to SkyOS. The company is also opening an App Store for vehicle cockpits, which is expected to enhance the in-car experience with more than 40 specially tailored apps starting September 22. This App Store serves as a content eco-platform and allows partners to develop native applications that securely leverage the tool’s capabilities. Available apps cover various areas, including social media platform Xiaohongshu, video platform Youku, and short video platform Kuaishou, expanding entertainment options for Nio drivers.
In addition, Nio is the first smartphone that offers seamless connection and content sharing between the phone and the vehicle. Nio PhoneHe introduced. This feature allows users to display a virtual phone on the vehicle’s center screen, providing direct access to applications installed on the Nio Phone, thus improving the interaction between the vehicle and its user.
SkyOS and with the introduction of its in-car App Store, Nio is leading the electric vehicle industry towards a future where technology and convenience converge. The company’s efforts to integrate smartphone technology into vehicles represent a step forward in redefining the driving experience by blending entertainment, connectivity and functionality.
Nio on creating custom vehicle operating systems Huawei, Google And Apple Although it faces competition from companies such as, its comprehensive approach makes it stand out as a promising competitor in this emerging field. Real-world testing will ultimately determine the success of Nio’s claims.