Driving innovation: Software engineering at GM

By David Richardson, Senior Vice President of Software and Services Engineering

Today’s modern vehicles are controlled and powered by sophisticated software systems that handle everything from digital interfaces to drive and ride quality to safety. This shift to “software-defined” vehicles will redefine transportation, potentially more significantly than electrification.

At General Motors, we’ve been building cars for 116 years. Software gives us new ways to make them better, smarter, and more capable. We’re developing a unified, modular, and updatable software platform for everything from the Chevrolet Equinox to the GMC Sierra EV. Our approach integrates vehicle software with hardware to develop innovations like hands-free driving technologies and EVs capable of powering your home.

As we advance in electric vehicle production, software is playing a pivotal role in shaping the customer experience.

This complex marriage between hardware and software, and the opportunity to work on a world-changing challenge at scale, is attracting tech leaders to the automotive industry. It’s why I joined GM from Apple, and why we opened a tech center in Silicon Valley in 2024.

In consumer and enterprise software, we often think of engineering in terms of devices, electronics, and services. Rarely have cars been part of this discussion. That’s all changing now that the same type of stack exists across technologies.

At the same time, vehicles have many different complexities and requirements compared to other consumer devices. Thankfully, the best software engineers want to work on the most complex problems.

Electrification: Beyond the vehicle

As we advance in electric vehicle production, software is playing a pivotal role in shaping the customer experience. Our technology extends beyond the vehicles themselves to charging infrastructure and energy management. And fuel cell technology will allow us to electrify a range of industries and power storage solutions.

Autonomy and Automation: Getting closer

The era of autonomous vehicles is on the horizon. Today, automated or assistance systems, like our Super Cruise hands-free driver technology, are at the forefront. Automation demands sophisticated electric architecture and software platforms. Super Cruise integrates connectivity, radars, cameras, high-precision maps and GPS to enhance the driving experience. And we deliver over-the-air technology updates to customers at their convenience.

Connectivity: The heart of the modern vehicle

Software interfaces now live across prominent screens in the car, controlling everything from safety systems to entertainment features. For example, we’re building an infotainment system so comprehensive that your car becomes an extension of your digital life—integrating custom maps, climate controls, audio playlists, safety features, and driver-assist technologies like Super Cruise.

The intricate network of chips, devices, and hardware within a vehicle are at play from the moment you approach your vehicle to after you turn it off.

A startup within a legacy 

There are still important and exciting unsolved challenges in the auto industry. In the next 10 years, for every surviving automaker, amazing software will be table stakes.  GM is driving toward this future with a startup’s mentality and a legacy automaker’s know-how.

We’re hiring software engineers in Mountain View, Detroit, and other locations, with opportunities in systems engineering, ML/AI, mobile, and web development.

Join us in driving the future of transportation.

A 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST plugged into GM Energy’s bidirectional charger.

By David Richardson, Senior Vice President of Software and Services Engineering

Today’s modern vehicles are controlled and powered by sophisticated software systems that handle everything from digital interfaces to drive and ride quality to safety. This shift to “software-defined” vehicles will redefine transportation, potentially more significantly than electrification.

At General Motors, we’ve been building cars for 116 years. Software gives us new ways to make them better, smarter, and more capable. We’re developing a unified, modular, and updatable software platform for everything from the Chevrolet Equinox to the GMC Sierra EV. Our approach integrates vehicle software with hardware to develop innovations like hands-free driving technologies and EVs capable of powering your home.

As we advance in electric vehicle production, software is playing a pivotal role in shaping the customer experience.

This complex marriage between hardware and software, and the opportunity to work on a world-changing challenge at scale, is attracting tech leaders to the automotive industry. It’s why I joined GM from Apple, and why we opened a tech center in Silicon Valley in 2024.

In consumer and enterprise software, we often think of engineering in terms of devices, electronics, and services. Rarely have cars been part of this discussion. That’s all changing now that the same type of stack exists across technologies.

At the same time, vehicles have many different complexities and requirements compared to other consumer devices. Thankfully, the best software engineers want to work on the most complex problems.

Electrification: Beyond the vehicle

As we advance in electric vehicle production, software is playing a pivotal role in shaping the customer experience. Our technology extends beyond the vehicles themselves to charging infrastructure and energy management. And fuel cell technology will allow us to electrify a range of industries and power storage solutions.

Cadillac infotainment interface in development at GM’s Sloan Engineering Lab in Warren, Michigan

Autonomy and Automation: Getting closer

The era of autonomous vehicles is on the horizon. Today, automated or assistance systems, like our Super Cruise hands-free driver technology, are at the forefront. Automation demands sophisticated electric architecture and software platforms. Super Cruise integrates connectivity, radars, cameras, high-precision maps and GPS to enhance the driving experience. And we deliver over-the-air technology updates to customers at their convenience.

Connectivity: The heart of the modern vehicle

Software interfaces now live across prominent screens in the car, controlling everything from safety systems to entertainment features. For example, we’re building an infotainment system so comprehensive that your car becomes an extension of your digital life—integrating custom maps, climate controls, audio playlists, safety features, and driver-assist technologies like Super Cruise.

The intricate network of chips, devices, and hardware within a vehicle are at play from the moment you approach your vehicle to after you turn it off.

A startup within a legacy 

There are still important and exciting unsolved challenges in the auto industry. In the next 10 years, for every surviving automaker, amazing software will be table stakes.  GM is driving toward this future with a startup’s mentality and a legacy automaker’s know-how.

We’re hiring software engineers in Mountain View, Detroit, and other locations, with opportunities in systems engineering, ML/AI, mobile, and web development.

Join us in driving the future of transportation.