Expanding the scope of in-vehicle connected platforms

7th March 2017

Enaie Azambuja

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Molex has announced a strategic collaboration and investment in Excelfore. Headquartered in Fremont, CA with offices in China, Germany, India and Japan, Excelfore specialises in middleware solutions for smart mobility networks that support next-generation smart, autonomous and learning vehicles, fleets and associated infrastructure.

Excelfore automotive software products enable communication between automotive components and cloud-based servers, automotive fleet monitoring, and provision of Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) and Software Over the Air (SOTA) updates.

The strategic investment in Excelfore expands the Molex portfolio of I/O interconnect and module solutions serving a range of powertrain, networking, media module and lighting applications for the automotive and connected vehicle sector. The collaboration will support development of new end-to-end vehicle networking solutions.

“Smart mobility starts with innovative people and solutions to make intelligent vehicle designs a reality,” according to Bill Fitzer, vice president and general manager of the Molex Connected Mobility Solutions Business Unit.

“Working together, Molex and Excelfore will provide complete intelligent vehicle systems integrating the hardware, software and technical services needed to advance adoption of next-generation connected platforms in today’s vehicles.”

In-vehicle network technologies are a top priority for leading automotive manufacturers and consumers who value a connected driving experience. Currently, only about one in five vehicles shipped is equipped with connectivity features. By 2020, 75 percent of cars will be connected to the Internet, according to TrendForce market research.

Automotive OEMs need a total systems approach to connectivity as they integrate new features and capabilities into vehicles. In order to meet this demand, Molex and Excelfore have developed a complete vehicle end-to-end connectivity solution with FOTA/SOTA, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, OTA and edge-sensor eCAM capabilities.

“By empowering seamless end-to-end solutions—taking into account digital and power interconnects, in-vehicle and cloud networking, and the mechanisms for rolling out updates to vehicles—the partnership with Molex strengthens the value we can bring to automotive suppliers,” said Shrikant Acharya, chief technology officer at Excelfore.