In embedded systems, standardization seen as key

Embedded systems in the car will grow, according to a German survey (Photo: ESG)

FUERSTENFELDBRUCK, Germany — Automakers and suppliers see standardization as key to the growth of embedded systems, according to a survey of decision makers in the auto and aerospace industry. They also believe hardware and software can in future come from different companies and they see relatively good potential for service providers to play an important [...]

EV configurator to help assess customer requirements

fraunhofer ev-configurator

German researchers have developed an electric car configurator that will give automakers better insight into real customer requirements. The configurator, built by technology management researchers of the Fraunhofer IAO Institute, not only lets potential EV customers virtually build the car of their choice. It also allows them to evaluate and rate the different aspects of [...]

HMI solutions to grow strongly in cars, Frost & Sullivan says

In 2007 already, VW developed a prototype system to combat driver's "microsleep" (Photo: VW)

Further improvements are needed in the way drivers control the growing array of infotainment and safety features in the car, Frost & Sullivan said in a recent analysis. The researchers said cars’ so-called human machine interface (HMI) will increasingly integrate the controls of various functions into a single system. This will help reduce complexity and [...]

ADAC: Radar sensors raise repair costs in minor collisions

A minor collision can lead to an expensive sensor repair, the ADAC found (Photo: ADAC)

Radar sensors in today’s cars can significantly increase the costs of relatively minor accidents, according to a study by the ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile club. Using the example of a Toyota Avensis colliding with an Audi Q7 at 10 km/hour, the ADAC registered damage of 5,000 euros on the Toyota. Of these costs, 65 pc [...]

Outsourcing on the rise, according to German poll

steria outsourcing

Outsourcing is of crucial importance to the success of a company, according to 78 pc of top German decision polled in a recent survey. The poll, conducted by consultants Steria Mummert, found that 10 pc more executives than last year considered outsourcing of high importance. Outsourcing projects are on the agenda for 94 pc of [...]

Bosch reaffirms plans to step up EV, internet investments

Bosch CEO Franz Fehrenbach said he was "largely satisfied" with the group's 2011 results (Photo: Bosch)

Robert Bosch, which posted an 8.8 pc increase in 2011 sales to 51.4 billion euros, said it will intensify its activities in electromobility and internet-based services. The world’s largest automotive supplier said it is spending around 400 million euros a year on electric-vehicle technology. That reflects expectations that, by 2013, 21 projects for hybrid and [...]

BMW, Daimler, Bosch to build joint data platform for EV charging

A standardized charging-station infrastructure is seen as critical to the growth of electric vehicles (Photo: RWE)

Automakers Daimler and BMW are teaming up with key German automotive suppliers and electric utilities to build a common data platform for electric-vehicle charging. The two premium carmakers plan to form a joint venture for this purpose with suppliers Robert Bosch and Siemens and utilities RWE and EnBW. They hope the joint data platform will [...]

In interview, Volvo’s CEO says less is more in infotainment

Volvo CEO Jacoby shows the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid concept at the Detroit auto show (Photo: Volvo)

DETROIT — Volvo Car CEO Stefan Jacoby believes the Swedish carmaker can compete with its premium rivals in the field of new automotive electronics systems by providing less, rather than more. “Consumers don’t need all these kinds of gimmicks,” Jacoby said earlier this month in an interview with automotiveIT at the Detroit auto show. “If [...]

US expert panel: in-car electronics require more supervision

A US expert panel says the public needs to be assured that complex electronic systems in cars will work (Photo: Delphi)

The proliferation of in-car electronics raises new safety issues that need to be monitored and addressed, a report by a US expert panel said this week. “The increasing role of electronic systems in automobiles creates new safety oversight challenges that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must address explicitly and proactively,” the report by [...]

Daimler-Google pact set to speed up Mercedes map functionality

Daimler's COMAND Online already offers various Google services to Mercedes drivers (Photo: Daimler)

Daimler said it has signed an agreement with Google to get quicker access to new map technologies developed by the online information and search group. Under the terms the agreement, which was signed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Daimler will get access to a suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) known [...]