Google used its I/O conference to announce a significant step forward in its automotive ambitions, and a turning of the screw for auto OEMs that might be considering in-house IVI systems based on platforms like BlackBerry’s QNX, or the GENIVI Alliance’s Linux-based version. Android Auto was positioned as an option for automotive OEMs to include in their designs, as a way of quickly adding IVI capabilities to their product lines, without having to go through the lengthy design and implementation processs that an in-house solution would require. The trade-off, of course, was that Google would gain access to all that valuable data that the vehicle and its occupants generate. While the automaker didn’t have to worry too much about the…