Volkswagen Group-owned software development company Cariad has announced that Sanjay Lal has been hired by the company. Having previously worked for Google, Tesla, Cisco, at Rivian he managed to create software for cars in record time, according to analysts. Now he is likely to be given an identical task at the corporation, where the software’s ills became particularly noticeable during the launch of the VW ID.3.
Sanjay Lal at Cariad
Sanjay Lal not only worked at Tesla, he was director of [software] engineering there from 2017-2019. He then moved on to Google, where he was in charge of Android Automotive (2019-2021), before wandering over to Rivian (2021-2023), where he had a position as vice president of software platform. Interestingly, prior to all these places, he was employed at Cisco and only lasted a little over two years there. On that basis, in 2025 we should find out whether Cariad is a good place to work 😉
Lal is expected to start working for Cariad in November. There are claims that he will have a difficult task ahead of him, because the software development culture at Volkswagen does not resemble that in Silicon Valley. The German corporation’s problem is said to be rigidity and an overly bloated administration, without the ability to make quick decisions and adapt to a changing environment.
On the other hand: the Rivian, which also did not start from scratch, managed to launch a finished product. Volkswagen Group’s new multimedia system with its application system, One.Infotainment, is internally based on Android Automotive, and the same is true at Rivian, but it should be remembered that these are just attachments to the software sewn deeper into the software controlling the car’s functions. At a lower level, both companies use their own software, and it should be recalled that it already worked well in the first VW ID.3, the car was praised for its powertrain.
The delays generated by Cariad have been the nail in Herbert Diess’ coffin, and have also reportedly caused the release of the Porsche Macan EV and Audi Q6 e-tron to be postponed from 2023 to 2024.
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