Mobility

Next-generation E/E architectures will create new business models for automakers and suppliers. But a Wards Intelligence survey shows few see themselves as pacesetters, and there’s some uncertainty about where the best monetization opportunities are. The massive change in operations, and the associated costs, will put constraints on the timeframe and depth of the changes in infrastructure and vehicle architectures that OEMs will be able to address.

Sean Harrington describes the Optimus Ride strategy of operating low-speed geofenced autonomous shuttles to reduce costs for communities, provide a shorter wait time than current public transportation and reduce vehicle miles traveled, pollution and traffic congestion.

Ford, Argo AI and Lyft are working together to begin commercialization of autonomous Ford Escape Hybrids for ride hailing at scale through the Lyft network by the end of 2021.

The Tactile Mobility system will detect even very slight initial runover of virtually anything, including a soft human body part, and provide a warning and/or a full vehicle stop to prevent further runover, which could be life-saving.

A consequence of a software defined environment, driven by data, is that process digitalization and model engineering are becoming essential assets at various levels in the automotive industry: from the vehicles to OEMs´ back-end and the mobility infrastructure.

Lately, cybersecurity has dramatically grown in importance in the automotive industry, although in Wards´ opinion it has not been properly addressed yet. In the past 5 years, the several “accidents,” where hackers have been able to take full, or partial, control of vehicles´ functions, are an evident and worrying indicator.

Across the supply chain, software-defined approaches appear to be the clear path to ensure flexible and future-proof architectures. In the past five years, we have observed that software has dramatically developed in new and disruptive directions, enabled by the advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms which are strongly depending on high-quality data.

DENSO, Honeywell, Toyota, Hyundai, General Motors, Stellantis and others are expanding their efforts to develop, test and fly electric propulsion technology for urban air mobility.

The software revolution in the automotive industry not only is impacting the vehicle itself, but also is triggering a chain reaction that resonates back to the OEMs, significantly affecting their operating processes and future strategies.

Volkswagen announces start of international ID. Buzz AV trials based on Argo technology as Ford moves ahead with plans for AV production in 2022 with Argo Lidar.

As we mentioned in a previous article, Increasing-Entropy-in-the-Sector-of-Automotive-Software, the trends around the software-defined vehicle and centralization of electronics hardware components come from the automotive industry’s need to adjust to new applications and the requirements for cloud-connected cars.

Ford’s new BlueCruise autopilot features arrive in the 2021 Mustang Mach-E SUV and F-150 pickup. See how they compare to offerings from other OEMs.