Microsoft unveiled its latest cloud and IoT technology unlocking the potential of cloud computing for smart mobility at this week’s inaugural 2035 E-Mobility Taiwan Exhibition.

The reveal highlighted Microsoft’s partnership with MIH Consortium, Foxconn’s electric vehicle (EV) software and hardware open platform. Leveraging the power of Microsoft’s Azure cloud service, the partnership delivers secure cloud-native options and accelerates the transformation of the automobile industry, while reducing carbon emissions.

Microsoft’s cloud computing supports MIH Marketplace’s in four categories – V2G (vehicle to grid) in support of energy management, pipeline management, dataset management, and in dashboard service with driver viewer. Azure IoT Central enables enterprises to collect real-time images, optimising performance and improving development agility and efficiency with machine-learning modules, container registry and devops.

“In the next generation of mobility, user-centricity is key,” said Jack Cheng, CEO of MIH. “To enable developers to innovate and create great user experience and applications, we must work towards a software-defined vehicles future by realising the open EV platform vision. The MIH partnership with Microsoft Azure is a great example of connecting and enabling players in the ecosystem to launch new applications and accelerate innovation.”

The automotive industry has shifted from individual hardware manufacturing to software collaboration, critically for electric vehicles.

“As the global energy industry steps into a new era of digital transformation, Microsoft has partnered with Taiwan Power and Yes Energy Service to bring V2G on the MIH EV open platform, allowing electric vehicles to be part of ancillary services for grid stabilisation, creating a new milestone for smart mobility industry,” said Cathy Yeh from Microsoft. “Microsoft will continue to support MIH and its ecosystem development with cloud-based solutions to unlock new innovations for a booming EV industry.”

With the smart mobility industry growing at rapid pace, it is imperative to manage, monitor and optimise grid stability, energy supply and charging sessions to increase efficiency.

“The exponential growth of the electric vehicle industry presents both a challenge and an opportunity in Taiwan for power consumption and distribution,” said Chong-liang Chang, vice president of Taiwan Power (Taipower). “Taipower is thrilled to collaborate with MIH and Microsoft on innovative applications in V2G, allowing services for electric vehicles to be agile and user-centric. Leveraging Taipower’s energy trading platform, together we are working towards a vision for Taiwan’s carbon neutrality and industry electrification.”

Cyber security is an integral part of the electric vehicle ecosystem. Microsoft Azure provides multi-layered, built-in security controls and threat intelligence to protect drivers’ and passengers’ personal data. Azure Active Directory is an identity service that manages and secures identities during each of an electric vehicle’s development phase. Azure’s high-performance computing (HPC) enables MIH to build algorithms and simulation-driven advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), enabling digital transformation of the ecosystem, research and development and collaboration among consortium members.

“Microsoft Azure empowers MIH to accelerate the development of the open EV platform,” said William Wei, chief technology officer of MIH. “Its flexibility and cloud services provide a stable development environment to enable a cloud-based automotive software ecosystem and global deployment of applications to software-defined vehicles (SDV) in the future.”

Sustainability is a shared priority for Microsoft and MIH. The partnership allows the ecosystem to transform the mobility industry to create a safer and cleaner planet for all.

“To achieve our goal of carbon negative by 2030, Microsoft continues to collaborate with ecosystem partners to fulfil our sustainability commitment,” said Sean Pien, enterprise commercial lead of Microsoft Taiwan. “Microsoft’s cloud for the EV industry will drive sustainability development for a greener future.”