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Car of the Year, SDVs of the Future

MotorTrend just made huge automotive news to kick off the LA Auto Show® by recognizing the 2023 Genesis G90 as The Car of the Year. This is MotorTrend’s biggest annual initiative and congratulations to the team from Genesis Motor North America on the win.

And MotorTrend also made another major awards announcement — one that is focused on the future of the cars, trucks, and SUVs we will drive — the Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator Awards.

Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) are the future of automotive where the brightest minds at OEMs and across the automotive industry will use software to improve vehicle experiences for drivers and passengers and unlock the value potential of vehicles as a platform. Our recent blog, Embracing the SDV: Welcome to Life in the Software-Defined Fast Lane, explores this topic in greater detail.

Today MotorTrend revealed the names of companies representing the finalists for its inaugural Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator (SDVI) Awards. MotorTrend and BlackBerry launched the new SDVI awards program to elevate those who are leading the auto industry’s transformation from hardware to software and redefining how vehicles are designed, built, driven, and ultimately experienced.

Nominations for 37 outstanding individuals are being considered for this first awards program. Winners will be chosen in three categories and will come from the following 19 companies that comprise the finalists:

  • AEye
  • Apex AI
  • AWS
  • Ghost Autonomy
  • Ford Motor Company
  • Hyundai Motor Company
  • Jaguar Land Rover
  • KPIT
  • MobilEye
  • Mercedes-Benz AG
  • Nio
  • Nissan
  • Porsche AG
  • Qualcomm
  • Stellantis 
  • Tesla
  • Toyota Motor North America
  • Toyota Connected
  • Waymo 

A panel of MotorTrend jurors will select winners of the 2023 SDV Innovator Awards in the following three categories:

Pioneer
To recognize outstanding individuals who have demonstrably broken new ground within the SDV space through research, development, and application of new automotive software.

Leader
To recognize outstanding individuals in a senior management position and lead a team that is transforming the automotive industry through the broad adoption and application of software solutions.

Domain Expert
To recognize outstanding individuals who are subject matter experts within a specific SDV discipline (such as advanced driver assistance systems, digital cockpit, over-the-air updates, autonomous, or recruiting). 

MotorTrend and BlackBerry will announce the first annual SDVI Awards winners during a ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 5 in Las Vegas, in conjunction with CES 2023. We believe our partnership with MotorTrend is a natural fit. BlackBerry is highly focused on helping unlock the potential of the SDV: our BlackBerry® QNX® technology is already embedded in over 215 million vehicles worldwide and our BlackBerry IVY™ platform will help launch new connected vehicle solutions. MotorTrend is the creator of the longest-running, most prestigious automotive awards in the industry. And we can now add the Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator Awards to the list.

We look forward to continued partnership with OEMs and automotive suppliers to support and honor the outstanding pioneers, leaders, and domain experts — as they drive the automotive industry toward the future.

Vito Giallorenzo

About Vito Giallorenzo

Vito Giallorenzo is Senior Vice President and General Manager of BlackBerry IVY.