Newswire.com

QNX Research Finds Automotive Developers Spend More than a Third of Their Time on Software "Plumbing" Slowing SDV Innovation

Second annual global study of 1,100 automotive software developers finds persistent integration challenges, rising security concerns and a more practical view of AI in SDV development

Key Findings from the 2026 Under the Hood: SDV Developer Report:

  • 35% of developer effort is spent, on average, on software integration work below the vehicle application layer rather than building differentiating consumer features with 19% spending at least half their time on that integration work.
  • 76% agree that OEMs should prioritize application-layer innovation over software infrastructure, highlighting the continued importance of focusing on delivering differentiating customer experiences.
  • 75% say the lack of a common, reusable software foundation slows SDV development.
  • Security is now the number one future concern among developers (48%), and 83% believe SDVs will become a major cyberattack target within the next three years.
  • AI expectations are becoming more practical: only a quarter think AI will be ‘transformational' (down from 36%), while those seeing it as significant and integrated into workflows rose to 62%.