The first AUTOSAR development phase is expected to be completed by the end of the year with the publication of release 2.1, according to the development partnership, and the first models containing AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System Architecture) elements will go into series production as early as 2008. The pending release of AUTOSAR 2.1 specifications, which contain definitions of the operating system, communication, hardware abstraction and the runtime environment, caps a three-year effort.

During phase II, which begins next year, the standard will be firmed up and expanded to include additional functions. Working groups will focus on conformance tests, and on updating and amending the standards and technical upgrades. Groups will also tackle pedestrian protection and other safety measures, and multimedia/telematics applications.

By 2010 all of the core partners in the AUTOSAR project are expected to have implemented AUTOSAR software in their new electronic control unit or vehicle generations. Core partners include the BMW Group, Bosch, Continental, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Opel, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Siemens VDO, Toyota, and Volkswagen.