Google’s Android Automotive is moving from the dashboard to the ‘brain’ of the car

Google announced a new version of its Android Automotive open-source operating system for software-defined vehicles. Whereas previously Android Automotive operated exclusively in the car’s infotainment system, Google is now expanding its “open infrastructure” to the non-safety parts of the car’s internal computer system.

As cars have swiftly become “computers on wheels,” there is still a lot of fragmentation in the industry, with many car manufacturers using different, mismatched software modules from dozens of different suppliers. Google wants to solve this fragmentation problem by — what else? — becoming the de facto software provider for the industry.

But the company says this isn’t just an effort to corner the market; it also wants to provide a better experience for drivers. With its new Android Automotive OS for Software-Defined Vehicles, the in-car experience will feel “much more cohesive and the latest features will reach your driveway faster,” Matt…