How are Software-Defined Vehicles Going to Redefine the Industry? We Chat With Experts

Immediately following the debut of the 2025 Lucid Gravity, 2024 Subaru Forester, 2024 Kia Santa Fe, and 2024 Acura ZDX at the 2023 Los Angeles International Auto Show's AutomobilityLA media day,MotorTrendhosted two future-thinking panel discussions for the assembled automotive journalists and industry attendees. Here's a recap:

Our first panel, "Software-Defined Vehicles: Forget OTA, Lets Update IRL (In Real Life)" was a cheeky nod to one of the signature features of SDVs: the ability to update remotely, over the air (OTA). Rather than do a remote update, our intention was to gather the brightest minds in the industry together, at the LA show,in real life.

And boy did we, the following heavy hitters from across the automotive and technology space graced us with their time and insights:

• Michael Bell, Senior Vice President, Digital, Lucid Motors
• Niko Hammond, Vice President, Ivy Business Development, BlackBerry QNX
• Stefano Marzani, Worldwide Tech Lead SDV, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Philipp Skogstad, President/CEO, Mercedes-Benz R&D North America

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Moderator Ed Loh,MotorTrend's head of editorial, set the stage by showing a short video clip about Software-Defined Vehicles and our CES gala from earlier this year, defining the key terms, SDV and OTA, and seating the illustrious panel.

Then, the conversation turned to some of the biggest headlines in automotive—the recent slowdown in EV sales and high-profile incidents in the autonomous vehicle segment, with ArgoAI and Cruise. From there, discussion pivoted to one of the most provocative topics of the day, artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact across the industry. Skogstad had much to say on these topics, as he and his team led the rapid introduction of OpenAI's ChatGPT into Mercedes-Benz's current lineup of vehicles, and played in integral role in the company's rollout of Level 2+ and Level 3 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

From current events, Loh pivoted the discussion to the big news of the show, which included the Gravity, Lucid Motors software-defined SUV, of which Bell had many thoughts. Marzani was also asked to comment on the major announcement that Hyundai's full line up will soon be available to shoppers on and Amazon.com, as well as other integrated cloud services his AWS team was working on. Throughout the fast moving, wide-ranging conversation, Hammond took the time to provide insights from the software-supplier side, as BlackBerry's QNX and IVY systems play unique roles from car to cloud and back again.

After covering data privacy, security, the future of subscriptions, the panel ended on predictions: what can we expect from the bold new world of Software-Defined Vehicles. Check out the video to see what was in each of our expert's crystal ball.

MotorTrend Investigates: China's Big Bet on Mexico

Our second panel focused onMotorTrend's new documentary "MotorTrend Investigates: China's Big Bet on Mexico," which centers around the big impact that Chinese automakers are having in Mexico and their potential arrival to the U.S. via it neighbor to the south. With such a controversial topic, we gathered experts to chat about whether America will open its doors to Chinese automakers, and how could Americans receive them. Joining us at the panel were:

• Kristen Lee, senior features editor at MotorTrend
• Héctor Ocampo, editorial director at AutoAnalítica
• Graham Fotheringham, founder of Angenieux LLC

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Moderated byMotorTrend's Miguel Cortina, the panel started after screening the 18-minute documentary, and with Ocampo giving the audience a brief update on what has happened in Mexico since the video was filmed this past summer. Big players like Geely, Great Wall Motors, and GAC arrived in Mexico in the last two months, joining an already long list of more than nine Chinese automakers that includes BYD, SAIC Motors and Chery.

Fotheringham, who has been in the EV space for most of his career and currently consults for Chinese automakers, said these companies move fast and have ambitious plans. Their cars' lifecycles are faster than traditional automakers, entering new generations every three to four years, instead of every six to eight years like traditional brands. He also added that Chinese automakers could play well in the sub $30,000 EV market, a space that's wide open and no American, European, Japanese, or Korean automaker is currently delivering on except Chevy, with its aging Bolt.

Having spent ample time talking to experts for the documentary, Lee wondered what it would be like if Chinese automakers set up shop in the U.S. With Chinese battery maker Gotion facing backlash from U.S. Congressmen and Michiganders after announcing a plan to open a $2.36 billion battery plant near Big Rapids, Michigan, Lee said Chinese brands are facing hostility from Americans, despite phones and home appliances being made in China.

Privacy and safety were also two hot topics on the table. Fotheringham said Americans are taking privacy laws seriously and worry that as EVs become more technologically connected and advanced, Chinese automakers could sell their data to other companies. Ocampo touched on how Chinese automakers don't have access to NHTSA or IIHS safety tests, which are the standard when it comes to independent safety tests. Mexico's safety regulations are quite low compared to American standards, and while certain Chinese automakers have performed well in Euro NCAP tests (the closest foreign test to the NHTSA), others have failed even the most basic safety evaluations.

With China being a hot topic, and with our panel happening the day after President Biden met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, all panelists agreed that there's a lot of uncertainly for Chinese automakers entering the U.S. market. While they all have ambitious plans and want to be part of the second largest automotive market in the world, politics and hostility against China are looming high in America.

Check out our documentary "MotorTrend Investigates: China's Big Bet on Mexico" to see how Chinese brands have already made big impacts worldwide and how they are using Mexico as the segue to enter the U.S. market.