Google Cloud, Valtech open-source Nexus SDV platform

Google Cloud and Valtech have released the open-source core of Nexus SDV, a software-defined vehicle platform designed to support connected car systems at scale.

The launch is the first public release of a platform developed to help carmakers build software-led vehicle services. Built on Google Cloud infrastructure, it also integrates with Android Automotive OS, the in-vehicle operating system used by some manufacturers.

Nexus SDV is a modular platform for managing connected vehicles, processing telemetry and linking cloud services with software running in the car. It is designed to support as many as 100 million devices and uses Arm-based compute and Bigtable for data processing and storage.

The release comes as carmakers shift from traditional connected vehicle models to software-defined vehicles, where more functions are delivered and updated over the air. That transition has increased the volume of vehicle data that must be handled securely and added pressure on manufacturers to control cloud and development costs.

AI focus

At the centre of the platform is Nexus AI, which uses Gemini models and the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform to analyse vehicle telemetry in real time. The software is designed to turn vehicle data into information that can support automated decisions and more personalised driver assistance.

The system is also intended to create a continuous data loop between the vehicle edge and cloud systems. The companies say close integration with Android Automotive OS allows telemetry to be ingested and synchronised in real time, with software updates and services then sent back to the vehicle.

That model reflects a broader trend in the automotive sector, where vehicle makers treat software as an ongoing service rather than a one-off feature embedded at the point of sale. It also highlights the growing role of cloud providers in the car industry as manufacturers seek external platforms for data handling, digital services and AI tools.

Security model

A large part of the Nexus SDV design centres on security controls for vehicle identity, software access and data handling. The architecture uses a defence-in-depth approach across certificate management, identity systems, secret storage, network isolation, AI governance and data access controls.

Vehicle authentication relies on mutual TLS and public key infrastructure, with Google Cloud Certificate Authority Service managing certificate authority pools. Before data exchange can begin, a vehicle must present a factory-issued certificate. The system then validates a certificate signing request before issuing an operational certificate.

Identity management is handled through Keycloak as an OpenID Connect identity provider. Vehicles authenticate with operational certificates to obtain short-lived JSON Web Tokens, while a NATS authorisation service maps vehicle roles to specific messaging subjects.

For service-to-service access, the platform uses Workload Identity Federation and GKE Workload Identity, allowing systems to obtain temporary credentials rather than rely on static secrets. This is intended to reduce exposure to credential theft and limit access permissions across backend services.

Secrets such as database passwords, configuration data and signing keys are generated during infrastructure provisioning and stored in Google Cloud Secret Manager. Services retrieve them at runtime rather than embedding them in code or container images.

The platform also runs on private GKE clusters, where worker nodes have no public IP addresses. The Keycloak PostgreSQL database uses Cloud SQL IAM Authentication, allowing connections to be controlled through IAM roles rather than fixed passwords or IP allowlists.

Data controls

Another part of the architecture is a custom Data API that sits between applications and the underlying data store. Instead of granting direct access to Bigtable, the API limits queries to predefined parameters such as specific vehicle identifiers, sensor data types and set time windows.

This is designed to narrow how downstream applications and external clients retrieve information from the platform. In practice, it creates a gateway layer that can enforce more structured data access patterns as vehicle fleets generate larger volumes of telemetry.

The launch also highlights the increasing use of open-source software in automotive platforms. By making the core publicly available, Google Cloud and Valtech are placing Nexus SDV in a market where manufacturers and developers want building blocks that can be adapted across different brands, hardware setups and software roadmaps.

The release is also intended to show how the platform can reduce total cost of ownership through Arm-based compute and Bigtable while providing an AI-native environment for vehicle software.