Detect, prevent, secure: why shift-left is the hottest trend in automotive right now

As automotive innovation continues to accelerate, vehicle safety is struggling to keep up. Can shift-left bridge the gap?

With software driving the future of vehicles, the standard for safety and reliability has never been higher.

To reach such high standards, the automotive industry is adopting a new approach to early issue detection and prevention. This approach is called shift-left.

Originally rooted in software development, shift-left focuses on identifying and addressing potential problems early in the process, rather than waiting until later stages. This proactive strategy is rapidly making its way into automotive engineering, supporting the move toward safer and more reliable vehicles.

To successfully deploy the shift-left approach, carmakers need advanced technology that can identify risks upfront, reduce costly recalls and keep cars up to date.

Cars are becoming more software-driven than ever and automakers are making performance a priority.

Building resilience

Let's look at software-defined vehicles (SDVs) as an example.

SDVs are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to constantly improve and adapt to changing conditions. These cars heavily rely on updates to keep systems up-to-date and introduce new features after they’ve been driven for months or years.

But this also means being exposed to potential vulnerabilities in the software.

With shift left, whether it’s adaptive routing or predictive navigation, vehicles can become more reliable from the early development stages by spot-checking every potential issue.

The process is extremely rigorous, requiring testing and validation before any updates are deployed.

Thanks to shift-left principles, software can be thoroughly tested during its development and debugging stages, avoiding glitches once it’s integrated into vehicles by simulating real-world scenarios and deploying updates over the air.

Smarter, faster, stronger

Car manufacturing is a complex and time-intensive process, but adopting a shift-left approach can significantly streamline it, improving overall efficiency.

Identifying challenges sooner allows teams to save valuable resources that might have been wasted reworking flawed designs. Testing, coding and producing smarter systems in earlier stages also increases efficiency.

Many moving parts are involved and location technology and data play a critical role in this process.

For instance, real-time mapping and navigation services reduce complexity by integrating geographical data directly into vehicles during development. Automakers using systems like HERE Routing can optimize vehicle performance based on intricate road conditions and traffic data.

Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) also benefit, enabling testing by simulating diverse driving scenarios, such as urban traffic or rural terrains during earlier development stages. This ensures better calibration of systems like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, enhancing safety and improving user experience.

Location technology supports predictive maintenance as well, enabling manufacturers to analyze vehicle performance data according to specific geographic and environmental factors.

By integrating location-based insights, developers can identify potential issues before they arise, reducing repair costs and improving overall vehicle reliability.

A strong connection

Connected driving relies heavily on real-time data to deliver seamless navigation, enhanced safety and driver convenience.

For instance, HERE Real-Time Traffic provides live traffic updates and congestion data, allowing developers to pre-test routing and navigation systems under realistic conditions.

HERE Live Sense SDK provides vehicles with advanced hazard detection by recognizing road conditions and obstacles instantly, allowing for a safer driving experience right from the start.

HERE HD Live Map delivers precise, high-definition mapping to support autonomous and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) during pre-launch testing and beyond.

By integrating these tools early in the development process, automakers can ensure connected driving systems are optimized for real-world scenarios, leading to better outcomes for drivers and passengers.

A permanent shift

Shift-left practices are rapidly redefining how vehicles are designed, developed and deployed.

Addressing safety issues early on improves software reliability and operational efficiency, resulting in smarter and quicker-to-market innovations.

With the support of location technology, shift-left is paving the way for a software-driven future of smarter, safer and more reliable driving experiences.