LG Electronics, Luxoft to launch car infotainment JV in January

LG Electronics Inc. will launch a car infotainment system joint venture with Luxoft, a DXC Technology company headquartered in Switzerland, later this month to develop advanced car infotainment systems.

During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021, which opened on Monday, LG’s Chief Technology Officer Park Il-pyung confirmed the launch of the JV, named Alluto, on Jan. 27.

LG and Luxoft entered into an agreement during the tech expo in 2020 to jointly develop a car infotainment system based on the webOS Auto platform.

Through the JV, the two companies aim to advance the deployment of a production-ready digital cockpit, in-vehicle infotainment, rear-seat entertainment and ride-hailing systems based on webOS Auto's platform and make these available for automakers, fleet operators, and shared mobility services providers.

WebOS Auto is a Linix-based automotive infotainment platform specially designed to provide solutions for connected cars. Its openness allows companies in various sectors, from system on chip to cloud service, to use the platform.

OPEN INNOVATION

“We will seek open innovation through cooperation with global partners across industries,” said Park at LG Future Talk, a forum held on the sidelines of CES 2021.

The launch of Alluto comes a few weeks after LG announced that it is joining hands with US-based Magna International Inc. to set up a $1 billion joint venture to build electric car components.

James Tobin, a Magna International executive, said at an CES event on Wednesday that their plan to jointly develop an EV powertrain system will gain momentum, given LG’s capability to mass produce motors and inverters, which account for 70% of the cost of the system.

Write to Jeong-Soo Hwang at hjs@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.