Technology review
Martin Keenan
Technical Director, Avnet Abacus
Great Inflection. As usual with such trends, some of them are more advanced than public perception would have it, while others lag behind the hype.
One of the most obvious trends is vehicle electrification. While the public profile of electric vehicles has been strongly driven by Tesla, established players such as BMW, Jaguar, Toyota and Volkswagen, among others, have been steadily introducing hybrid and fully electric vehicles to their ranges. Even internal combustion engine cars are seeing greater electrification, as manufacturers choose to reduce the load on the engine by driving subsystems such as power steering and air conditioning electrically. These innovations have been directed in part by improving battery technology, a shift from 12V to 48V power buses, and regulation that has pressured car makers to reduce emissions, both per vehicle and per fleet. Tesla has also been instrumental in addressing the
'chicken and egg' problem of vehicle range by investing heavily in its charging network while also improving its battery technology.
The second high-profile trend in the automotive industry is the shift to greater vehicle autonomy. Again, Tesla has led the hype, at one point promising that its vehicles could drive from coast to coast in the US without their owners having to touch the steering wheel. The reality has turned out differently, with autonomy being limited to what appears to be a combination of lane-keeping and advanced cruise- control strategies on well-lit, well-marked highways. Nonetheless, car makers are paving the way for greater vehicle autonomy by installing various Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in their vehicles.
5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
