diff --git a/core/api/system-current.txt b/core/api/system-current.txt
index 2214ab4be83ae..74a7c1dab6d3f 100644
--- a/core/api/system-current.txt
+++ b/core/api/system-current.txt
@@ -6240,6 +6240,7 @@ package android.net {
     field public static final int NET_CAPABILITY_OEM_PAID = 22; // 0x16
     field public static final int NET_CAPABILITY_OEM_PRIVATE = 26; // 0x1a
     field public static final int NET_CAPABILITY_PARTIAL_CONNECTIVITY = 24; // 0x18
+    field public static final int NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL = 27; // 0x1b
   }
 
   public static final class NetworkCapabilities.Builder {
diff --git a/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java b/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java
index 1a37fb9fb6903..286cdf9e38ffc 100644
--- a/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java
+++ b/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ public final class NetworkCapabilities implements Parcelable {
             NET_CAPABILITY_PARTIAL_CONNECTIVITY,
             NET_CAPABILITY_TEMPORARILY_NOT_METERED,
             NET_CAPABILITY_OEM_PRIVATE,
+            NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL,
     })
     public @interface NetCapability { }
 
@@ -357,8 +358,17 @@ public final class NetworkCapabilities implements Parcelable {
     @SystemApi
     public static final int NET_CAPABILITY_OEM_PRIVATE = 26;
 
+    /**
+     * Indicates this is an internal vehicle network, meant to communicate with other
+     * automotive systems.
+     *
+     * @hide
+     */
+    @SystemApi
+    public static final int NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL = 27;
+
     private static final int MIN_NET_CAPABILITY = NET_CAPABILITY_MMS;
-    private static final int MAX_NET_CAPABILITY = NET_CAPABILITY_OEM_PRIVATE;
+    private static final int MAX_NET_CAPABILITY = NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL;
 
     /**
      * Network capabilities that are expected to be mutable, i.e., can change while a particular
@@ -401,15 +411,16 @@ public final class NetworkCapabilities implements Parcelable {
      */
     @VisibleForTesting
     /* package */ static final long RESTRICTED_CAPABILITIES =
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_CBS) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_DUN) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_EIMS) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_FOTA) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_IA) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_IMS) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_RCS) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_XCAP) |
-            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_MCX);
+            (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_CBS)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_DUN)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_EIMS)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_FOTA)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_IA)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_IMS)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_MCX)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_RCS)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL)
+            | (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_XCAP);
 
     /**
      * Capabilities that force network to be restricted.
@@ -1939,6 +1950,7 @@ public final class NetworkCapabilities implements Parcelable {
             case NET_CAPABILITY_PARTIAL_CONNECTIVITY: return "PARTIAL_CONNECTIVITY";
             case NET_CAPABILITY_TEMPORARILY_NOT_METERED:    return "TEMPORARILY_NOT_METERED";
             case NET_CAPABILITY_OEM_PRIVATE:          return "OEM_PRIVATE";
+            case NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL:     return "NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL";
             default:                                  return Integer.toString(capability);
         }
     }
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/config.xml b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
index 42a658e500731..d30efa95edffe 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/config.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
@@ -455,6 +455,10 @@
         -->
     </string-array>
 
+    <!-- Whether the internal vehicle network should remain active even when no
+         apps requested it. -->
+    <bool name="config_vehicleInternalNetworkAlwaysRequested">false</bool>
+
     <!-- Configuration of network interfaces that support WakeOnLAN -->
     <string-array translatable="false" name="config_wakeonlan_supported_interfaces">
         <!--
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml b/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
index c505afe0509e3..937716dbcf749 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
@@ -684,6 +684,7 @@
   <java-symbol type="string" name="config_ethernet_iface_regex" />
   <java-symbol type="string" name="not_checked" />
   <java-symbol type="array" name="config_ethernet_interfaces" />
+  <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_vehicleInternalNetworkAlwaysRequested" />
   <java-symbol type="array" name="config_wakeonlan_supported_interfaces" />
   <java-symbol type="string" name="config_forceVoiceInteractionServicePackage" />
   <java-symbol type="string" name="config_mms_user_agent" />
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
index 4f0b34d69d79e..f1f1c8ed0a4fc 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ import static android.system.OsConstants.IPPROTO_UDP;
 import static java.util.Map.Entry;
 
 import android.Manifest;
+import android.annotation.BoolRes;
 import android.annotation.NonNull;
 import android.annotation.Nullable;
 import android.app.AppOpsManager;
@@ -974,6 +975,10 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
         mDefaultWifiRequest = createDefaultInternetRequestForTransport(
                 NetworkCapabilities.TRANSPORT_WIFI, NetworkRequest.Type.BACKGROUND_REQUEST);
 
+        mDefaultVehicleRequest = createAlwaysOnRequestForCapability(
+                NetworkCapabilities.NET_CAPABILITY_VEHICLE_INTERNAL,
+                NetworkRequest.Type.BACKGROUND_REQUEST);
+
         mHandlerThread = mDeps.makeHandlerThread();
         mHandlerThread.start();
         mHandler = new InternalHandler(mHandlerThread.getLooper());
@@ -1173,6 +1178,15 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
         return new NetworkRequest(netCap, TYPE_NONE, nextNetworkRequestId(), type);
     }
 
+    private NetworkRequest createAlwaysOnRequestForCapability(int capability,
+            NetworkRequest.Type type) {
+        final NetworkCapabilities netCap = new NetworkCapabilities();
+        netCap.clearAll();
+        netCap.addCapability(capability);
+        netCap.setRequestorUidAndPackageName(Process.myUid(), mContext.getPackageName());
+        return new NetworkRequest(netCap, TYPE_NONE, nextNetworkRequestId(), type);
+    }
+
     // Used only for testing.
     // TODO: Delete this and either:
     // 1. Give FakeSettingsProvider the ability to send settings change notifications (requires
@@ -1190,10 +1204,19 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
         mHandler.sendEmptyMessage(EVENT_PRIVATE_DNS_SETTINGS_CHANGED);
     }
 
+    private void handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(NetworkRequest networkRequest, @BoolRes int id) {
+        final boolean enable = mContext.getResources().getBoolean(id);
+        handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(networkRequest, enable);
+    }
+
     private void handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(
             NetworkRequest networkRequest, String settingName, boolean defaultValue) {
         final boolean enable = toBool(Settings.Global.getInt(
                 mContext.getContentResolver(), settingName, encodeBool(defaultValue)));
+        handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(networkRequest, enable);
+    }
+
+    private void handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(NetworkRequest networkRequest, boolean enable) {
         final boolean isEnabled = (mNetworkRequests.get(networkRequest) != null);
         if (enable == isEnabled) {
             return;  // Nothing to do.
@@ -1210,9 +1233,11 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
 
     private void handleConfigureAlwaysOnNetworks() {
         handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(
-                mDefaultMobileDataRequest,Settings.Global.MOBILE_DATA_ALWAYS_ON, true);
+                mDefaultMobileDataRequest, Settings.Global.MOBILE_DATA_ALWAYS_ON, true);
         handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(mDefaultWifiRequest, Settings.Global.WIFI_ALWAYS_REQUESTED,
                 false);
+        handleAlwaysOnNetworkRequest(mDefaultVehicleRequest,
+                com.android.internal.R.bool.config_vehicleInternalNetworkAlwaysRequested);
     }
 
     private void registerSettingsCallbacks() {
@@ -5966,6 +5991,9 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
     // priority networks like ethernet are active.
     private final NetworkRequest mDefaultWifiRequest;
 
+    // Request used to optionally keep vehicle internal network always active
+    private final NetworkRequest mDefaultVehicleRequest;
+
     private NetworkAgentInfo getDefaultNetwork() {
         return mDefaultNetworkNai;
     }