Googles new Android Automotive update wants to control your car's 'brain' as Micron predicts cars will soon need 300GB of RAM

Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
Cars are rapidly turning into computers as Android Automotive update will
soon make it the brain of your car, but Micron says vehicles will soon need 300GB of RAM to function.

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successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Google announces updated version of Android Automotive OS Tech giant hopes software can take care of key car functions Cars could eventually require more than 300GB of RAM, Micron says Google has just announced an updated version of its Android Automotive open-source operating system for vehicles, which it hopes will see the software take care of the "non-safety" parts of today and tomorrows Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs).

In recent years, both passenger cars and commercial vehicles have become increasingly more complex. With the advent of electric vehicles and their simplified powertrain architecture, automotive manufacturers have turned towards compute power to both control the vehicle and offer cutting-edge infotainment systems. Often described as Software Defined Vehicles , the phrase loosely applies to anything that can be updated, improved, diagnosed and fixed remotely, using a data connection within the car to connect to The Cloud. Article continues below You may like The best auto tech you probably missed from CES 2026 The world's first Gemini-powered EV lands this week here's what to expect 'It really is the craziest time ever': RAM crisis will hit consumers hard

In a blog post written by Googles group product manager, Matt Crowley
explains that modern cars are quickly becoming computers on wheels.

From pre-heating your car in the morning to using your smartphone as a car key, many of todays vehicle functions are controlled by software, he writes.

But modern automotive manufacturers also face a number of hurdles, chiefly as most of them have limited experience in coding and software, so have had to create entire divisions dedicated to rapidly emerging technologies.

Secondly, Crowley says that most automakers are integrating software modules from dozens of different suppliers. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals,
and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
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This fragmented approach means carmakers have to spend time on building infrastructure rather than what truly differentiates them in a fast-moving market, he says.

As you have likely already predicted, Google and Android want to make this simpler by releasing Android Automotive OS for Software Defined Vehicles
(AAOS SDV), which it claims provides an open infrastructure for the "non-safety" parts of a vehicle.

This will include things like next-gen AI voice assistants, climate control and cabin ambience, steering adjustments and infotainment services. What to read next Samsung says its going to beat Apple with a bold new Google-powered 'AI OS' Google adds major Android optimizations to make your phone run faster Micron reveals faster video RAM that we might see in Nvidia RTX 6000 GPUs

Like Apple with its Apple CarPlay Ultra system , Google and Android want more drivers to harness Android Automotive for the in-car digital experience,
while convincing automakers that letting the software giant take care of the tricky parts will streamline its developmental processes

But like Apple CarPlay Ultra, Google might also find there is a pushback from both customers and automakers not keen on Google handling the inevitable
reams of driver data flowing through its systems. Analysis: The downsides of "computers on wheels" Like it or not, the software defined vehicle revolution is in full swing and, as automakers look towards software to open up new revenue streams, future vehicles are only going to become ever-more complex.

In a recent report by The Register , Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said that
cars will eventually require more than 300GB of RAM to operate, as automakers continue to push towards higher levels of autonomous driving functionality.

Currently, a modern Tesla has between 8 and 16GB of RAM, depending on its
age, which is around the same or double that of todays Apple iPhone.

To achieve a level of autonomy that allows drivers to safely and legally take hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, Mehrotra believes automakers will need introduce almost 20-times that amount, bringing a vehicle more in line with a high-end consumer desktop.

Not only could this massively increase the price of tomorrows vehicles, it could also result in memory chip shortages, as the industry struggles to cope with the demand of competing automakers all vying to bring the latest self-driving tech to market. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/googles-new-an droid-automotive-update-wants-to-control-your-cars-brain-as-micron-predicts-ca rs-will-soon-need-300gb-of-ram


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