TECHNOLOGY IS NOW THE NUMBER ONE DIFFERENTIATIOR IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Connectivity Demands Security

This is true everywhere, but it becomes critical when it concerns autonomous or assisted driving. The more data we move, the more we need to ensure that it is secure and only accessible to the right people. Beyond the risk of hacking comes the need for privacy in data and the balance that needs to be struck between the usefulness of crowd sourced data and the privacy of the individual.

Technology Building Block

It won’t be one technology that revolutionizes the automotive industry and the driver experience, it will be based on a number of technological building blocks and small innovation that can together create a connected solution.

Continental, with over 100 years experience in tire technology, are developing smart tires to inform the driver and the on-board systems about changing road conditions, in the same way drivers respond to the different sounds that they hear from the tires on differing road surfaces and under different circumstances.

Bosch are using cars to crowd source data on vacant parking spots as they drive through cities by passing that data to the cloud to be shared by other system users who are looking for a space.

Valeo has ‘ExtraVue’ which connects to the forward camera of the vehicle ahead in order to see further in front when your view is obscured by that vehicle, making passing safer and faster.

Electrification of the Power Train

The trend towards the electrification of the power train continues, and each and every manufacturer is bringing more sophisticated electric vehicles to the market with extended range and faster, simpler charging. As more cars become electric, the automotive OEMs are adding more value to the vehicle as they provide the key elements of the electric power train.

Changes in Car Relationship and Ownership

Since the invention of the motor vehicle in the late 1800s, the car has been an object of desire. Our relationship with the car has been driven by emotion as well as intelligence. But, as we become more urban, we are seeing a generation that is less interested in car ownership and more interested in connected mobility. New models in urban transportation, like Uber and Lyft, have impacted the need to have cars in many environments and car sharing applications. If cars are able to drive autonomously in those cities then the models of shared vehicle usage will prevail.

This is extremely valuable if it offers access to mobility where it has been previously unavailable.