2016-07-05
Information:http://www.paristechreview.com/2016/04/15/automotive-industry-in-2025/
Jacques Aschenbroich / Chairman and CEO, Valeo
In an increasingly connected and urbanized world, we can expect the current balance between public and private automotive transport to change drastically. Thanks to digitalization and autonomous driving, the use of cars will become much more flexible, while electrification will make them better adapted to urban environments. This dual phenomenon will almost certainly reconcile cars with the urban world.
Patterns of mobility consumption are also beginning to change. However, whether they are using their own vehicle or sharing one, drivers will remain focused on a better driving experience for themselves, their passengers and other road users: quality and safety, simplified driving (i.e. increasingly autonomous and connected cars), air quality, and the contribution to combating global warming.
The decarbonization of mobility
The challenges of progressive vehicle electrification are closely linked to the macro-economic context of global automobile production.
In general, even if societal aspirations differ widely from one region of the world to another (awareness about global warming, need to reduce fuel consumption, energy independence), public policies in the transport sector (which accounts for one quarter of global CO₂ emissions) have been heavily engaged in implementing economic solutions that reduce the carbon footprint. This trend is accompanied by increasingly stringent and converging emission standards in all regions of the world (Japan, Europe, USA, China and India).
Due to the impact of regulations promoting the emergence of cleaner vehicles, the automotive sector is now very sensitive to climate change and sustainable development.
Along with research on cost saving, market analysis confirms the demand for more efficient vehicles as a general trend: drivers are now seeking cars which are not only increasingly energy-efficient, but also equally powerful, safer, more connected, more automated and with a simpler control interface. In this context, recent analysis shows that hybridization, electrification, connectivity and digitization are the key trends until 2025.
Increasingly autonomous, intuitive and connected vehicles
In conjunction with decarbonization, the trend towards increased autonomy and connectivity in the automotive market deeply influences the experience of mobility.
Thanks to a series of intelligent technologies that have emerged in recent years, autonomous driving systems improve both safety and driving comfort (detection of obstacles and other vehicles, fully automatic parking features, ergonomic representation of an aerial view of the vehicle surroundings, etc.). These transformations increase the integration of high-tech systems within the vehicle, including ultrasonic sensors, radars, cameras, laser scanners, data fusion and polymorphous data processing software.
New challenges for the consumer
The development of these innovations and their increasing integration in vehicles raises questions from consumers and users, mainly concerning ease of use, confidence in technology or confidence in the use of data.
Technological acceptance by consumers is a crucial driver for evolving towards greater connectivity and ease of individual movement. Car component manufacturers focus primarily on intuitive use, enjoyable driving and the gradual acceptance of these new technologies: automatic parking is a good example. Consumers are drawn into the field of autonomous vehicles by low-speed, difficult maneuvers (parallel parking). This intuitive approach requires the development of simplified and safe human-machine interfaces, in order to facilitate transitions between autonomous and manual driving modes.
Towards a necessary cooperation between sectors
From what we see of these societal changes and their associated issues, the automotive sector is facing a significant technological challenge. Unlike previous cycles of innovation, some of the upcoming evolutions involve other economic sectors (telecoms, services, insurance, etc.). In particular, we need to switch from a reflection on the ownership of vehicles to a reflection on mobility services that includes vehicles: this requires us to adapt the way we think.
The use and the deployment of autonomous vehicles also require a progressive review of our business models and our national, regional and international legal frameworks, all of which involve much broader issues than the simple question of the driver’s presence in the vehicle. These changes particularly affect insurance and technical regulations.
Similarly, the automotive industry also needs to establish a partnership with the telecommunications industry. The many challenges involved in the use of autonomous vehicles cannot be addressed by one sector alone: the deployment of connectivity and network coverage, the improvement of the functional safety of vehicles and networks, and the standardization of interfaces all need to be solved through partnerships.
Finally, of course, for autonomous and connected vehicles to develop, regulations will need to evolve at the same pace as technology: this is the role of public authorities.