Google has teamed up with Audi, GM, Honda, Hyandai, and NVIDIA to launch the Open Automotive Alliance, a global partnership committed to bringing the Android platform to cars throughout 2014. The move will see Android-powered systems integrated into upcoming vehicles, enabling those vehicles to become connected Android devices.

The group’s primary goal is to “bring the best of Android into the automobile in a safe and seamless way.”

The Open Automotive Alliance has already been working with the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to ensure that the system is safe for use on the road, and it is now looking to develop ways in which Android developers can introduce new in-car modes to their apps.

“With one platform that developers are already familiar with to target (rather than a patchwork of platforms from different automakers), developers will be able to focus on delivering a powerful experience for users,” the OAA says on its website. And by choosing Android, the OAA is based around a platform millions of users worldwide are already familiar with.

“Millions of people are already familiar with Android and use it everyday,” said Sundar Pichai, SVP of Android, Chrome & Apps at Google. “The expansion of the Android platform into automotive will allow our industry partners to more easily integrate mobile technology into cars and offer drivers a familiar, seamless experience so they can focus on the road.”

You can expect to see the first cars with Android integration by the end of the year, the OAA says.

• SourceOpen Automotive Alliance