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Recorded live at Merge 2025, this episode of Auto Collabs features Jeff Walker, Chief Commercial Officer of SDVerse, unpacking one of the most important—but least understood—shifts happening inside modern vehicles: the move to truly software-defined architectures. Jeff explains why SDVerse was created by GM, Magna, and Wipro, and how the platform helps OEMs discover, evaluate, and scale software from startups and suppliers across the globe—without slowing innovation or inflating cost.

As vehicles move toward high-performance compute, zonal architectures, and exponentially more code, Jeff makes the case that affordability, speed, and competitiveness depend on reuse and scale—not rebuilding the same software over and over again. From competing with Chinese manufacturers to reducing vehicle cost through smarter design, collaboration, and faster decision-making, this conversation connects the dots between software, consumer experience, and the future economics of the auto industry.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro — Live at Merge 2025 with Jeff Walker of SDVerse

0:35 What SDVerse Is—and Why It Was Created by GM, Magna, and Wipro

1:03 The Real Barrier Holding Back Automotive Software Innovation

1:38 Why Vehicle Software Still Feels Behind Consumer Technology

2:19 The Simple Features That Became Complex in New Vehicle Architectures

3:00 Software-Defined Vehicles Are More Complicated Than Most People Realize

4:17 From 50 Million to 800 Million Lines of Code—What’s Coming Next

5:06 How Legacy Automakers Can Compete with Chinese Speed and Flexibility

6:15 Why Software Scale Is Critical to Vehicle Affordability

7:59 The Cost Problem Hidden Inside Today’s Vehicle Development Model

9:01 What Industry Leaders Are Saying Behind Closed Doors at the GLC

10:59 Designing Cars More Frugally—Where Cost Can Actually Be Removed

12:17 Reuse, Commonality, and Letting Go of Reinventing Everything

13:32 What Jeff Hopes the Industry Looks Like 24 Months From Now

14:12 Why Policy Stability and Faster Decisions Matter More Than Ever

Connect with Jeff Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwalkercco/

Learn more about SDVerse: https://www.sdverse.auto/

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