What This Template Is For
Connected car software spans multiple domains: infotainment, telematics, driver assistance, remote vehicle control, and over-the-air updates. Each domain has its own hardware constraints, safety standards, and regulatory requirements that general-purpose product specs never address. A vague specification leads to integration failures, certification delays, and features that work on the bench but break in the field.
This template helps product managers define the software layer of a connected vehicle product. It covers vehicle telemetry, the driver and passenger experience, OTA update infrastructure, fleet connectivity, and safety-critical systems. Whether you are building a standalone companion app, an in-vehicle infotainment system, or a cloud platform for fleet operators, use this template to capture the requirements that matter.
Start with product discovery to understand how drivers actually interact with their vehicles. Observing someone fumble with a touchscreen while merging onto a highway reveals requirements that no focus group will surface. Use the RICE Calculator to prioritize features by safety impact and user frequency rather than novelty.
How to Use This Template
- Copy the checklist sections below into your team's document tool.
- Start with the Vehicle Platform section. The target vehicle type, connectivity hardware, and compute constraints shape every software decision.
- Work through Driver Experience and Telemetry next. These define the primary user-facing and data-collection surfaces.
- Fill in OTA Updates, Safety Systems, and Fleet/Enterprise features in order.
- Review with automotive engineers, safety certification teams, and actual drivers.
- Use the filled example to calibrate expected detail levels.
The Template
Vehicle Platform
- ☐ Target vehicle types (passenger car, commercial truck, EV, hybrid, ICE)
- ☐ Head unit hardware and operating system (Android Automotive, QNX, Linux, proprietary)
- ☐ Connectivity hardware (4G/5G modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, V2X)
- ☐ Compute platform (SoC model, memory, storage constraints)
- ☐ Companion mobile app platforms (iOS, Android)
- ☐ Vehicle bus access (CAN, LIN, Ethernet, SOME/IP)
- ☐ OEM partnership model (Tier 1 supplier, aftermarket, OEM embedded)
Driver Experience
- ☐ Home screen layout and information hierarchy
- ☐ Navigation integration (built-in, phone projection, hybrid)
- ☐ Voice assistant capabilities and wake word
- ☐ Media playback (AM/FM, streaming, Bluetooth audio, podcasts)
- ☐ Phone integration (Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, native calling)
- ☐ Climate control interface
- ☐ Driver profile management (seat, mirrors, preferences per key fob)
- ☐ Passenger zone controls (rear screens, rear climate, content sharing)
- ☐ Notification priority and do-not-disturb rules while driving
- ☐ Accessibility features (high contrast, voice control, screen reader)
Vehicle Telemetry
- ☐ Data points collected (speed, location, battery/fuel, tire pressure, diagnostics)
- ☐ Collection frequency and transmission intervals
- ☐ Edge processing vs cloud processing split
- ☐ Data storage on-vehicle (local buffer size, retention before upload)
- ☐ Cloud ingestion pipeline and data lake architecture
- ☐ Privacy controls (what data the driver can disable)
- ☐ Anonymization and aggregation rules for analytics
Remote Vehicle Control (Companion App)
- ☐ Lock/unlock and remote start
- ☐ Climate pre-conditioning
- ☐ Charge management (EV: start/stop charging, schedule, limit)
- ☐ Vehicle location and last-parked position
- ☐ Trip history and driving statistics
- ☐ Service reminders and diagnostic alerts
- ☐ Dealer and service center scheduling
- ☐ Digital key sharing (temporary access, valet mode)
Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates
- ☐ Update domains (infotainment, ADAS, ECU firmware, map data)
- ☐ Update delivery (background download, scheduled install, user-initiated)
- ☐ Rollback mechanism for failed updates
- ☐ Update size constraints and bandwidth management
- ☐ Consent and notification flow for safety-critical updates
- ☐ Version management across vehicle fleets
- ☐ A/B partition or delta update strategy
- ☐ Compliance with UNECE WP.29 / ISO 24089 for OTA
Safety Systems
- ☐ ADAS feature set (adaptive cruise, lane keeping, automatic emergency braking)
- ☐ Driver monitoring (attention tracking, drowsiness detection)
- ☐ Crash detection and automatic emergency call (eCall)
- ☐ Safety-critical software isolation (ASIL classification per ISO 26262)
- ☐ Cybersecurity requirements (ISO/SAE 21434, intrusion detection)
- ☐ Functional safety documentation and traceability
Fleet and Enterprise Features
- ☐ Fleet dashboard (vehicle health, location, utilization)
- ☐ Driver behavior scoring and coaching
- ☐ Geofencing and route compliance
- ☐ Fuel/energy consumption reporting
- ☐ Maintenance scheduling and predictive maintenance alerts
- ☐ Integration with fleet management systems (Geotab, Samsara, Fleetio)
- ☐ Multi-tenant administration and role-based access
Data Privacy and Compliance
- ☐ Driver consent management (GDPR, CCPA, region-specific)
- ☐ Data residency requirements by market
- ☐ Right to deletion and data portability
- ☐ Law enforcement data request policy
- ☐ Third-party data sharing agreements (insurance, map providers)
Filled Example: EV Companion App
Vehicle Platform
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Type | Battery electric sedan and SUV |
| Head Unit OS | Android Automotive OS 14 |
| Connectivity | 5G modem, Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5.3 |
| Companion App | iOS 16+ and Android 13+ |
| OEM Model | First-party OEM app (not aftermarket) |
| Bus Access | CAN and Ethernet via telematics control unit |
Driver Experience
The companion app is the primary interface when the driver is away from the vehicle. The home screen shows battery level, estimated range, charge status, and cabin temperature. One-tap actions include lock/unlock, climate pre-conditioning, and start/stop charging. The app loads vehicle state within 3 seconds of launch. Push notifications alert for charge complete, charge interrupted, vehicle moved (when parked), and service due.
Remote Vehicle Control
The app supports remote lock/unlock with a 2-second response time. Climate pre-conditioning can be scheduled or triggered on demand. Charge management includes start/stop, scheduling (departure time optimizer), and charge limit (e.g., 80% for daily use, 100% for road trips). Digital key sharing allows the owner to grant temporary access to up to 5 users with configurable permissions (drive, trunk only, valet mode with speed limit).
OTA Updates
Infotainment updates download in the background over Wi-Fi or 5G and install during a scheduled window (default: 2 AM to 5 AM local time, configurable). ADAS updates require explicit driver consent and cannot install while driving. The system uses A/B partitions for infotainment to enable instant rollback. Map data updates are delta-compressed and average 200 MB per quarterly release.
Telemetry
The vehicle transmits location, battery state, tire pressure, and HVAC status every 60 seconds while driving and every 15 minutes while parked. Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) are transmitted immediately on detection. All telemetry is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). The driver can disable location sharing from the app settings; disabling it also disables stolen vehicle tracking.
Tips for Specifying Connected Car Software
- Minimize driver distraction. Every interaction while driving must follow the two-second rule: if it takes more than two seconds of eyes-off-road time, it needs a voice or steering wheel control alternative. Map your feature set against NHTSA distraction guidelines before development.
- Plan for vehicle lifecycle, not app lifecycle. Cars stay on the road for 10 to 15 years. Your OTA update infrastructure must support vehicles that are a decade old with older hardware. Define minimum hardware requirements and graceful degradation paths for older models.
- Latency matters for remote control. Drivers expect lock/unlock and climate commands to execute within 2 to 3 seconds. If the vehicle is in a low-connectivity area, define the timeout behavior and user feedback clearly. A spinning loader with no estimated time erodes trust quickly.
- Cybersecurity is a safety issue. A compromised vehicle is not just a data breach; it is a physical safety risk. Treat cybersecurity requirements with the same rigor as functional safety. Follow ISO/SAE 21434 for your threat analysis and risk assessment.
- Test in real environments. Cellular connectivity in a parking garage is different from a highway. Temperature extremes affect both hardware and software performance. Test your product across the full range of conditions your target vehicles will encounter. Include these scenarios in your product strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Safety and distraction guidelines constrain every design decision. Classify features by ASIL level early
- Design for a 10 to 15 year vehicle lifecycle, not a 2-year app cycle
- Remote control features must respond within 2 to 3 seconds or provide clear feedback
- OTA update infrastructure for infotainment is table stakes. Safety-critical OTA requires separate certification
- Test under real-world conditions: parking garages, highway speeds, extreme temperatures
- Data privacy must meet the strictest regulation you will launch in, applied globally
About This Template
Created by: Tim Adair
Last Updated: 3/5/2026
Version: 1.0.0
License: Free for personal and commercial use