Google has been hoovering up major automotive makers as customers of its GenAI products and services for real time navigation, in-car infotainment and intuitive access to manuals for maintenance and operational functions. However, the OEMs are tending to confine critical competitive applications of AI inhouse, to restrict competitors’ access to core technologies. These include autonomous driving and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). Volkswagen, the world’s largest car maker by revenue and second to Toyota by volume, is a case in point. The company has just partnered with Google Cloud to introduce GenAI features to its mobile app, which it claims will give drivers more “intuitive access to critical vehicle information and services” specific to each car model. Rather curiously, Volkswagen…