Aptiv, Formerly Delphi, Eyes Mobility's Big Prize

TROY, MI – The future of mobility will be data driven, says Glen De Vos, chief technical officer of Aptiv, and the former Delphi electronics unit wants to be the engine behind the transformation. "It is a big change for us," De Vos says of Aptiv's new role in the industry as chiefly a software company after decades of supplying automakers with components and parts hardware now considered low-margin commodities. De Vos would be happy to keep selling the hardware, too, and the Gillingham, U.K.-based company likely will for many years to come, but it will take a back seat to the software its customers need to raise the connectivity, improve the safety and reduce the unfavorable environmental impact of the vehicles they make. The supplier officially launched Dec. 5 with Kevin Clark, president and CEO of Aptiv, saying the company has an opportunity to play a large role in an industry transformation underpinned by the promise of autonomous vehicles. "Aptiv is built on a strong foundation of industry firsts and has the knowledge, capability and agility to win with traditional OEM customers and emerging mobility players," Clark says of the former Delphi Automotive.