Software-Defined Vehicles: Bridging Industry and Research Perspectives

The emergence of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) marks a paradigm shift in the automotive industry, where software plays a central role. However, despite the growing importance of SDVs, there is no uniform or generally accepted definition, leading to inconsistencies in research and industry perspectives. This paper aims to formulate a unified definition of SDV by conducting a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of scientific papers and analyzing definitions provided by major car manufacturers and leading suppliers. By reviewing definitions and views from academia and industry, we identified central features that make up an SDV. Furthermore, based on the key findings of our SLR and research of industry views, we derived an industry-oriented definition of SDV. With our definition, we contribute to a uniform understanding of SDVs, fostering clearer communication, research alignment, and possibly the identification of further research directions.