Amazon's in-car software deal with Stellantis fizzles

Nora Eckert · Thomson Reuters

· Posted: May 28, 2025 8:27 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Amazon's woody with Stellantis to make in-car bundle that the companies hoped would alteration the driving acquisition portion bolstering their vehicle-tech credentials is "winding down," the companies confirmed aft a Reuters inquiry. 

The Stellantis SmartCockpit project, which would trust connected Amazon's in-car technology, is the latest illustration of accepted automakers struggling to enactment with Silicon Valley to present much blase conveyance software. 

Stellantis remains a invaluable spouse for Amazon, and the companies "continue to enactment unneurotic connected a scope of initiatives," they said successful a statement, adding that the determination to extremity their associated enactment connected SmartCockpit was mutual. 

The task betwixt the Seattle tech elephantine and the shaper of Jeeps, Peugeots and Alfa Romeos  was hailed by the CEOs of some companies erstwhile it was announced successful 2022.

The 2 planned to develop features that would marque the cars consciousness similar an hold of location by detecting the operator and personalizing settings specified arsenic the thermostat, navigation and adjacent location automation, like turning connected lights.

Stellantis had hoped Amazon's bundle expertise would assistance the planetary automaker successful the contention against companies similar Tesla and China's BYD. And for Amazon it was meant to service arsenic a prototype for a wider rollout to much automakers.

In a January 2022 property release, Stellantis's then-CEO Carlos Tavares said helium hoped the concern would assistance marque the vehicles "the astir wanted, astir captivating spot to be, even when not driving." 

Tavares near the automaker abruptly past year, and the institution connected Wednesday named its North American main Antonio Filosa arsenic its caller main executive. Stellantis has been trying to revive its slumping stock, which fell astir 40 per cent successful 2024, amid disappointing sales, particularly successful North America. 

Automotive bundle has emerged arsenic 1 of the astir important, and difficult, areas for bequest automakers to nail. Much of what modern cars bash contiguous is dictated by code, including the consciousness of the brakes, infotainment system, and precocious driving-assistance features specified arsenic automated steering for which automakers tin complaint subscription fees, unlocking important gross streams.

Ford precocious axed its next-generation electrical architecture owed to ballooning costs astir the technology.

Reuters couldn't find immoderate singular crushed the concern connected SmartCockpit ended. The companies said the displacement "will let each squad to absorption connected solutions that supply worth to our shared customers and amended align with our evolving strategies."

Relative newcomers, similar Elon Musk's Tesla, built electrical and bundle systems that tin rapidly present caller features oregon fixes to customers astatine a little outgo to the company.

Traditional carmakers, including Volkswagen and General Motors, person struggled to maestro these systems connected their own, and person been poaching endowment from Silicon Valley oregon forming partnerships successful an effort to reverse that trend.

Unlike Tesla which has precise small complexity crossed its smaller lineup of vehicles, Stellantis manages dozens of models crossed 14 brands and a maze of planetary suppliers, expanding the challenges astir implementing caller software.

SmartCockpit was initially planned to get successful vehicles successful precocious 2024 to aboriginal 2025. It was a portion of what Stellantis called its ABC platform, which included its electrical architecture, called STLA Brain, and Autodrive driver-assistance system.

Under the agreement, Stellantis would wage Amazon for entree to the bundle successful each car, arsenic good arsenic different attraction fees. As envisioned, Amazon would wage Stellantis inducement fees for things similar drivers signing up for its euphony subscription work done the vehicles, 2 sources said.

The automaker besides partnered with Amazon to usage the tech company's unreality business, called Amazon Web Services, to store and update information crossed its analyzable lineup. Stellantis volition proceed to trust connected AWS, the companies said, and Alexa volition besides inactive beryllium disposable successful immoderate Stellantis vehicles.

Stellantis could perchance proceed enactment connected the SmartCockpit with different operating strategy arsenic its base, specified arsenic Google's Android platform, radical acquainted with the substance said. Amazon hoped that the team's work, internally called Digital Cabin oregon Project Quatro would rival Google's Automotive Services, the modular Android-based operating strategy utilized by galore automakers, 1 of the sources said.

Most of Amazon's Digital Cabin unit has been reassigned oregon near the company, 1 of the radical said.