The vehicle architecture is changing from a large distribution of small ECUs with small amounts of processing, memory and control code to a centralized system with fewer, more powerful hardware blocks (domain controllers, center computers) and centralized software code. This supports the software-defined vehicle and manages the increasing traffic caused mainly by sensors for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). To learn more and continue our series of interviews with tier-1 suppliers on t...

Among the many duties of The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) is to provide a forum for engineers, governments, and other stakeholders to develop technical standards and best practices for the automotive sector. The SAE today houses over 9,900 documents that are the fruits of collaboration between some 15,000 experts and engineers worldwide. Among these standards, perhaps the most referenced and influential today is standard J3016. To most, J3016 is better known as the stan...

While the fifth-generation Honda CR-V will not set pulses racing, what makes the interior stand out in a crowded marketplace? Continuing our series of interior reviews, we explore some technologies and materials for this hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV). What is it all about? Four trim levels are available on the latest incarnation CR-V, starting with the S (manual gearbox only), rising to the SE, SR and EX. The interior of our SR press review model incorporates touches of metallic trim ...

The switch to electrification means there is an opportunity for startup automakers unburdened by legacy costs and investments to change the way cars are designed and built. “We assessed the waters with a few SPACs and found the level of redemptions, mixed with the cost overburden of being public too soon was entirely counterproductive.” “We see electric mobility as an opportunity, a brand leveller. Where perceptions of certain brands and products may have lagged reality in the past, u...

With reports that consumers are starting to push back against the vogue for sleek looking, but frustrating to use, in-vehicle interfaces AI is set to be the vehicle interior designer’s secret weapon. AI could succeed in making more drivers and passengers receptive to their minimalist interiors and could banish buttons forever.  Click the link above to download the whole article.

Sila’s anode material plant in Moses Lake, Washington, will produce enough material to serve up to 200,000 electric vehicles in its first phase. With Mercedes-Benz as its first official customer, Sila is working through an early qualification process with other potential customers. Sila’s innovative silicon materials can entirely replace graphite from battery anode. Berdichevsky gives a detailed account of how Sila was formed, the advantages of breakthrough silicon anodes in EV...

The software-defined vehicle architecture is poised to bring about a transformative shift in the automotive industry by facilitating a flexible and adaptable solution for the assimilation of cutting-edge technologies, features and services like charging infrastructure, predictive maintenance, autonomous driving, connected vehicle, enhanced safety systems, as well as financial technology and blockchain. This necessitates a comprehensive reimagining of the vehicle E/E architecture, especially the ...

Audio systems are no longer viewed in a static, “ship it and forget it” way. They can be a continuously updated platform and used to extend the relationship between the consumer and original equipment manufacturer. Immersive audio experiences such as seat-based or headrest-based speakers becoming mainstream applications remains a holy grail pursuit in the automotive audio space. Shared mobility is another driver for development. Providing multiple users their own unique audio experience, w...

The Toyota bZ4X, similar in size to the RAV4, marks the Japanese brand’s first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and the first of a series of bZ products launched globally. Its name references the size of the car – 4 for mid-size – and the vehicle type, in this case, X for crossover SUV. Continuing our series of interior reviews, we explore some technologies and materials for this all-electric SUV. What’s it all about? The bZ4X is available in front- and all-wheel drive versions. The ...

The Nissan Qashqai initiated a trend for the compact-crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) way back in 2007. Since then, the market has been flooded with them, with 26 direct competitors in Europe alone. Continuing our series of interior reviews, we explore some technologies and materials of this third-generation model. Infotainment The 9-inch display screen provides access to satellite navigation, entertainment and vehicle settings, and is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarP...

The time for denial is over. There are still suppliers of parts related to internal combustion engines that are steadfast in their belief that the looming (and eventual) shift away from ICE toward any number of battery-electric propulsion formats is just a passing fad. In their view, scores of OEMs, suppliers, dealers and infrastructure partners have it completely wrong. They believe that the billions in investment earmarked in virtually every major global market to build a new ecosystem are cap...

The Lexus NX has curb appeal in spades. However, what of the interior? The second-generation model introduces new infotainment, connectivity and convenience technologies. Continuing our series of reviews, we explore some interior technologies and materials of this midsize luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV). Welcome As part of the NX’s welcome sequence, the instrument panel, door handles, puddle lights and daytime running lights illuminate as the door is opened. On closing the door, the ...

UK-based McLaren Applied is a specialist in vehicle electrification, particularly inverters. It recently struck a deal with STMicroelectronics for the supply of silicon carbide power modules for its 800V inverter. Inverter technology is rapidly adopting silicon carbide semiconductors, and McLaren has turned to the Geneva-based company in the absence of a local supply chain. To learn more about the inverters market and the migration from distributed ECU E/E architecture to a centralized zona...

Driving simulators have always attempted to connect real people with imaginary vehicles. The fundamental principle is not new; however, the technology used to make this happen is a moving target. Since the 1990s, driving simulators have taken on many forms — from small-scale gaming/ entertainment systems to the large-scale systems used by vehicle manufacturers for their product research and development (R&D) activities. The variation in driving simulator designs has mos...

Last January, five European countries - Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden - submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to restrict PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the EU under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. The group are calling for an EU ban on PFAS as early as 2026, pointing to recent studies that have linked the chemicals’ exposure to a wide range of health problems. The proposed r...

This Insight marks the first in a new series of car interior reviews that takes a closer look at an array of technologies and materials packaged in the cabin. Launched in Europe in late 2021, the Honda HR-V is the latest model in the carmaker’s line-up to wear the e:HEV badge, following the refreshed CR-V and Jazz.  Cockpit In Europe, three trim levels are available on the third-generation HR-V, starting with the Elegance, rising to the Advance and Advance Style. The cockpit across ...

One of the most recognized patterns in current well-to-wheel analysis is the differentiation of localized power generation sources and supply chain contributions to the overall carbon footprint of vehicles. Experts like Kelly Senecal rightly point out that in many cases, the power grid is dirtier than a hybrid, even when vehicles manufacturing energy sources are responsibly developed.  Click the link above to download the full article.

Once the domain of jet fighter aircraft, heads-up displays (HUDs) are becoming popular in cars. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is under consideration to prioritize situational and contextual content in augmented reality (AR) HUDs. Regulations could control display content thereby limiting the use cases for AR HUDs. Although HUDs first went into production back in 1988 with GM, the technology had been very slow in gaining traction in the last couple of decades. However, in the l...

Given that passenger wellbeing is high on the agenda, consumers are prioritizing in-vehicle relaxation and seeking comforting tactile and visual cues that can enhance that feeling. Customization is another big trend. OEMs are expanding their luxury offerings to enable customers to express their personalities and lifestyles more visibly. Interior design is also trending toward more digitalized surface qualities, e.g., integrated touch controls, design effects and lighting. The desire to embra...

Automotive interior design study initially focuses on the use of sustainable materials for “A” surface applications and discovers that there is wider-reaching potential.  Design and engineering consultancy Callum’s recipe for a sustainable car interior includes coffee, lentils, eggshells, rice, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and walnut shells that have the potential to meet car interior production feasibility by 2030.  Like the design of electric vehicles (EVs), con...

OEM interest in driver monitoring systems (DMS) is regulatory driven, currently based on drowsiness distraction and Child Presence Detection (CPD). Consumers want safety and wellbeing experiences in their car, seeking for it to become part of their digital-health ecosystem. Supporting subscriptions is part of Harman’s envisaged business model. The idea of a car watching the driver is not new. Systems that scrutinize the driver’s gaze for signs of drowsiness have been around for year...

Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) have been everywhere these past few months, with the noise reaching a crescendo after the recent CES in Las Vegas. Trouble is, it’s not exactly new. It’s just that the auto industry loves a mega trend or a concept that helps explain everything. And to be fair, SDV does knit together a whole gamut of developments in the industry rather neatly.  Click the link above to download the whole article.

On March 1, Tesla hosted its Investor Day, where it presented ‘Master Plan 3’, the sequel to Master Plan outings in 2006 and 2016. While earlier plans were greeted enthusiastically by investors, the third met with a muted response from the markets with the stock falling by 6%.  Click the link above to download the full article.

In 2023, some 300 exhibitors showcased their vehicle technology. Its increasing importance – usurping the traditional auto shows like NAIAS, Paris, IAA and Geneva along the way – is demonstrated if we wind back the clock to 2014. Then, there were just nine OEMs present and some 125 automotive technology exhibitors. With this growth has also come maturity. The 2023 CES was less about fanciful concepts and more about tangible. Click the link above to download the full article.

Automotive display HMI is growing in demand owning to convenience features and enhancing customer experience. Moreover, in the coming years development of multi-display will not only provide greater freedom of information usage and control between driver and passenger, but it will also reduce product development complexities and costs for automakers. Although, in real-terms automakers will invest more during the initial years to gain longer-term benefits. Automakers are also engaged in the devel...

The current year has again been dominated by the chip crisis. Overlaid on this has been the worsening macroeconomic position due to the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has had knock-on effects for the industry in terms of demand surety. In turn this has brought an end to the era of cheap capital, which has served to slow the burgeoning mobility startup ecosystem. In the broader sense the sector looks set to be heading to a phase where demand-side considerations replace the curren...