Why we Need Smarter, Safer Vehicles – Diving Deeper into Eco-Friendliness, Infotainment & Connected Mobility

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A Deep Dive into Connected Mobility, Infotainment, and Eco-Friendliness

Automotive

There is no doubt that our cars are getting smarter, safer, and more entertaining by the day, making the most out of infotainment and connected mobility. The advancements in technology are fueling a whole new generation of vehicles. However, experts are wondering if these vehicles are safe enough for the population.

CES 2020 has marked another significant step forward in-car technology, with a number of manufacturers revealing the latest tech for their vehicles. From the march towards 5G and smart cities to entertainment for front and rear passengers, the cars of the future are poised to be packing some serious technology

Nevertheless, automakers need to invest more in creating smarter and safer vehicles for the future. The cyber threats, coupled with the increased risk of car accidents, are driving the need for more reliable vehicles. As you’re about to discover, this implies a greater focus on infotainment, eco-friendliness, and communication.

The Importance of Infotainment 

By 2026, the connected vehicle market is predicted to generate $273 billion in revenue for OEMs. In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems will be responsible for a fair share of those revenues too. By the same year, the IVI market is expected to grow to $46 billion – up from $15 billion in 2016.

This rapid market growth is fueled by a wide range of factors, including but not limited to:

  • Increased consumer demand for enhanced driving experience and improved connectivity;
  • The arrival of Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous vehicles, encouraging OEMs to find new ways for entertaining their passengers;
  • Gradual commoditization of high-end technologies such as IoT, AI/ML, V2X, 5G, and C-V2X technology.

Connected infotainment usually means

  • OTA, or over-the-air upgrade: this will improve the car software during the lifetime of the car, similar to a smartphone. 
  • Cloud services/telematics: examples of these include gas station prices, EV charging stations, live weather along the route, remote diagnosis of faults, vehicle tracking, entertainment, and integration with corporate services. We can help implement those.
  • V2X: live data from cars, and road, improve ADAS and maps, together with automated driving

At Tremend, we can help implement OTA projects, cloud services/telematics, and other similar projects, for any type of customer.

In 2021 and beyond, modern vehicles will start to resemble smartphones increasingly more, as they will be able to learn information about their owner. That’s where the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) comes into play. V2X cars will seamlessly receive data from the infrastructure or from other vehicles and pedestrians. Collecting all this data and sending it to the cloud makes all the elements of the connected infrastructure work together.

Connected Mobility & Cyber Security

Vehicles are becoming more connected than ever before. Companies can enhance this connectivity through telematics and IoT integration, allowing devices to communicate with each other more easily. By providing support at every stage of the implementation process, companies can guide OEMs through the design, development, the integration with existing systems stages.

Today’s mobility will have to adapt to the needs of our increasingly urbanized world. We can already see the first developments in the direction of connected mobility – most people have already used a parking assistance system in their own cars or are leveraging the perks offered by navigation systems. 

These modern systems represent the first step toward how connected mobility will increase efficiency in the near future. Car-2-Car communication is already widely available in new vehicles, and this trend is accelerating rapidly. A lot of cities already have examples of driverless underground trains, like the one in Nuremberg. Small driverless buses – such as the ones servicing the Charité hospital complex in Berlin – are another example of what’s to come.

All this development in connected mobility coupled with cyber security is the result of the expansiveness of Internet technology. Providers need to enable companies to leverage connected mobility capabilities within a highly-secured digital ecosystem. Using advanced security technology that complies with AUTOSAR and AUTOSAR Adaptive standards, companies can get a safe & secure frame to benefit from full protection over their processes.

Focusing on Eco-Friendliness

In the past decade, the automotive industry has experienced constant growth and improvement. While traditional vehicles are still going strong, the creation of affordable, mass-produced hybrids and electric cars has started a true revolution. Many people are choosing electric cars over fossil-fuel vehicles because they are cheaper to drive and help reduce damage to the environment, plus they also come with a wide range of benefits.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are still expensive upfront, but their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is expected to diminish by the hour, reaching the cost of combustion engine cars. Thus, EVs will become more attractive for company cars and fleets. Additionally, luxury car buyers attracted by quiet drive, and instant acceleration will choose to select EVs over traditional vehicles.

EV manufacturers usually add the latest infotainment and assisted driving tech, attracting those customers who want to leverage the best technology has to offer. This, combined with the strong regulatory push in Europe to limit CO2 emissions, with heavy penalties on companies with inefficient fleets, will only drive up the number of EVs available on the market.

To top it all off, there is a strong Chinese push to reduce pollution and promote Chinese companies as major players in the automotive industry, with large financial incentives for EV startups. This will only incentivize Eu-based automotive companies to create better, more reliable electric vehicles.

The cost of charging an electric car is much less than the cost of filling up the tank, and the cost of a new hybrid or electric car has dropped considerably over the past ten years. These cars also aren’t as loud, which reduces noise pollution and makes communities quieter. While it seems like electric cars are the most logical move, it’s only recently that technology has made them both affordable and efficient.

This focus on eco-friendliness is also powered by the need to save the planet. Countless associations and environmentalists are trying to spread awareness of the importance of preserving our natural habitat and reducing pollution. The European Commission even has a plan to curb carbon emissions by 2030.

The Bottom Line

There is no doubt that the advancements in technology coupled with the politics in security and environmental safety will transform the automotive industry, making it more eco-friendly and safer than ever before. Infotainment, connected mobility, and cyber security will each play a key role in this shift.

If you have any ideas on this topic, we encourage you to leave your comment in the section below. As usual, do not hesitate to share this post with your friends on social media.