Making the most of their time spent in cars is a top priority for 46% of people, according to research conducted by the Faurecia team between 2016 and 2018. Drawing on this and other consumer insights, Faurecia renewed its focus on driving and riding experiences, working to improve safety, personalize the onboard experience, and create vehicle interiors that adapt to new tech and use cases.

The Trends Driving the Vehicle Tech Industry

Faurecia sees four major trends transforming the vehicle technology industry: connectivity, ride-sharing, self-driving vehicles and electrification.

“These trends are creating space to innovate and propose new attractive, connected and personalized user experiences in an ever-safer environment, which is the fundamental DNA of our cockpit of the future division at Faurecia,” said Mathieu Devillard, Cockpit of the Future vice president at Faurecia.

Connectivity  

Connectivity has become a reality and automotive is the new IoT. Today, 20% of cars in use (50 million in the U.S.) are connected to cellular networks and 100% of next year’s vehicles will be connected.

The content and services available on today’s smartphones have transformed consumer expectations for anytime, anywhere connectivity. Tomorrow’s cars will need to provide digital continuity for people on the move, enhancing user experiences through connected information, communication or entertainment, as well as upgrading apps and services on the go.

With adaptive displays that change as the vehicle switches between manual and autonomous modes, as well as voice-activated cockpit controls, new connectivity experiences are changing the way occupants can personalize their time in the vehicle.

“What we can offer in terms of onboard teleworking, immersive sound, gaming or customized comfort gives us great scope to innovate for future mobility services,” Devillard said.

Ride-Sharing

While shared mobility represented around 1% of worldwide car sales in 2019, some estimate it could reach up to 10% in 2030. It’s a growing trend that responds to consumers’ needs for flexible mobility options.

In terms of cockpit evolution, it will radically change the way passengers will be able to experience and benefit from the vehicle’s interior systems and services.

Faurecia is exploring the emergence of new business models that reinforce its vision to propose a versatile, connected and personalized Cockpit of the Future.

Self-Driving

With the arrival of autonomous vehicles, Devillard spoke about self-driving technologies and advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) that are making driving and parking safer and more convenient and helping to build trust in the transition to autonomous travel.

ADAS applications are already being commercially deployed — from self-driving valet parking to vehicle control systems that ensure lane keeping, obstacle detection and avoidance, and safer maneuvering.

Electrification

The vehicle tech industry continues to improve powertrain performance and accelerate electrification. Hybrid vehicles or fuel cell electric vehicles are becoming a more important consumer consideration in the movement toward emissions-free mobility.

“It’s hard to predict when each of these trends will come so we are focusing our effort on concrete solutions that will transform the user experience and meet occupants’ expectations for connected, personalized and sustainable mobility,” commented Devillard on industry evolution and what’s to come in the next 10 years.  

“All the technology bricks we are demonstrating have roadmaps for development and commercialization with a short time to market.”

Faurecia at CES 2020

At CES 2020, Faurecia will demonstrate its latest innovations for the Cockpit of the Future and Sustainable Mobility.

Faurecia is bringing five test-drive vehicles and announcing details about its fuel cell joint venture with Michelin and partnership with Microsoft at the show.

At its space in Central Plaza, Faurecia will be highlighting:

• A redesigned interior of a Ford F150 pickup truck, demonstrating the integration of a connected and personalized interior, including scalable hardware and software solutions.

At its space on the Platinum Lot, Faurecia will offer a driving area where visitors can:

• Test drive immersive sound vehicles with digital sound tuning and active noise cancellation.