2019 was a year of strategic developments in the automotive domain. Key disruptions this year were in the fields of intelligent tyres and sensors, ADAS and autonomous vehicles, off-highway vehicle telematics, electric vehicles, automotive cybersecurity etc.

BIS Research has been actively tracking the emerging trends in technologies in the automotive domain since long. In the light of the recent developments, we at BIS Research have compiled a set of questions and their corresponding answers, straight from our principal analyst, Paarijaat Sharma, in the automotive domain and his take on the dynamic outcomes these developments are expected to have on the automotive market:-

1. What is your take on the world’s first 5G enhanced Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) services use case presented by Pirelli during the ‘5G Path of Vehicle-to-Everything Communication’ event occurred on November 14th, 2019?

In November, Pirelli launched its sensor-equipped Cyber Tire that provides connectivity through the 5G network. The launch witnessed key collaborations with its partners such as Ericsson, Audi, Tim, and KTH, among others. These tires are fitted with discs, which consist of various sensors, processors, and communication systems, among others. These discs are used to monitor critical indicators from the tire and the road and convey the vehicle’s data to the vehicle’s electronic control units (ECUs). These discs are essential in transmitting various vehicle data such as tread depth, tire pressure, tire temperature, multi-axis acceleration, tire load, aquaplaning detection, and road conditions, among others. The integration of 5G technology can help the sensors to transmit vehicle data more efficiently to the ECUs or to nearby vehicles and infrastructure due to 5G technology’s ultra-high band and low latency. Effective utilization of 5G technology can aid in helping the vehicle and its surrounding vehicles in knowing about the potential risks on the road and help in decreasing the number of road accidents. For instance, Pirelli held a demonstration of its 5G connected Cyber Tire, which was successfully able to inform the vehicle and the vehicle behind it about aquaplaning conditions on the road.

2. “The new digital resilience vehicle assessment service launched by the Ricardo and Roke partnership is taking automotive cybersecurity to a next level.” Can you throw some light on this?

The increasing degree of sophistication of vehicle systems and networks, along with the various software that are needed for ADAS and autonomous functionalities, makes a modern vehicle vulnerable to various types of cyber security threats. While there are various current regulations related to vehicle cyber security, many regulatory bodies such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) are forming new regulations revolving around the same. These will include mandates such as monitoring vehicle manufacturer’s cybersecurity management system and forming uniform global regulations for autonomous vehicle manufacturing. Through the digital resilience vehicle assessment service being provided by Ricardo and Roke, vehicle manufacturers would be able to protect their vehicles from future cyber threats and comply with these impending regulations. The trials on the vehicles would be conducted at its Digital Resilience Laboratory at Shoreham, U.K., where vehicle manufacturers would be able to have an assessment of their vehicle’s cyber security based on 5StarS vehicle assurance framework and other uniform methodologies. These trials are expected to provide the vehicle OEMs and customers with the vehicle’s status against cybersecurity threats.

3. “E.ON has received a major order from the BMW Group to install and operate one of the largest charging networks in Germany at BMW Group locations”. Your view on the potential of electric vehicle fast charging to disrupt the automotive sector?

E.ON's partnership with the BMW group for installing more than 4,100 electric vehicle (EV) charging points by 2021 is quite significant. Currently, the lack of an adequate number of public charging points deters the large-scale adoption of EVs, as people are still apprehensive about the vehicle's range. Many OEMs such as Tesla, Toyota, Hyundai, and Volkswagen, among others, have already started manufacturing electric variants of various models of vehicles. Prices of EVs are gradually decreasing due to various government subsidies and wider scale of adoption. Also, newer EV models have a higher driving range due to progress in EV battery technologies. As the adoption of EVs increases, the charging energy demand would also increase among customers. Unlike internal combustion (IC) engine vehicles, EVs would require recharging at multiple points of access such as at home, workplace, public parking lots, and highways, among others. Apart from the lack of charging stations, another major concern is the amount of time it would require a vehicle to attain full charge. Current conventional EV chargers are able to fully charge a vehicle in 8+ hours, but fast charging systems would be capable of charging EVs in 15 to 120 minutes. This would enable vehicle owners to reduce vehicle charging time and increase the usage of their vehicles. Moreover, it would be crucial for governments, vehicle OEMs, and charging infrastructure manufacturers to better understand the scope of demand for electric vehicle fast-charging systems and adapt accordingly to increase their EV sales.

4. Quanergy and Geely established a strategic partnership on December 10th for smart city and autonomous vehicle initiatives. How far do you think is this development a breakthrough in the LiDAR technology adoption?

Geely Automotive Group is one of the largest automotive companies in the industry as it sold more than 1.5 million vehicles in 2018, offering both passenger and commercial vehicles through with various brands such as Geely, Volvo, London Electric Vehicle Company, Lotus, and Proton, among others. The company's partnership with Quanergy is expected to be significant for the deployment of LiDAR technology in Geely's smart city and autonomous vehicle systems. Geely plans to utilize Quanergy's LiDAR-based smart city solutions in various cities in China, where a 5G-V2X platform would be created equipped with Quanergy's M8 LiDAR, 3D perception software, and vehicle telematics systems, among others, to help autonomous vehicles to track other vehicles on the road. This is a major partnership created for the commercial deployment of LiDAR technology in smart cities and autonomous vehicles; and other cities may adopt LiDAR technology as well to decrease road accidents and enhance traffic management.

5. With recent developments such as Veoneer launching the world’s first thermal camera for level 4 autonomous vehicles, what do you think about the development’s impact on the market of vision and navigation systems for autonomous vehicles?

This is indeed a big launch for the vision and navigation ecosystem. Veoneer is one of the biggest players focused on advanced driver assistance systems. The latest thermal camera system is capable of utilizing various narrow as well as wide field-of-view cameras. This system can be useful in enhancing the safety of vehicles by detecting various entities on the road such as pedestrians, animals, and surrounding cars, among others, by detecting temperature differences in objects. The camera will be functional in various environmental conditions such as nighttime, fog, day, and in headlight glare, among others. Veoneer is currently manufacturing the thermal camera system in collaboration with FLIR Systems, Inc., and is expected to be in production by 2021. These thermal systems can be beneficial for autonomous vehicles as these can enhance the vision and navigation system in these vehicles along with other sensors. The combination of thermal imaging systems along with other sensors can make the autonomous system more robust in nature toward detecting objects and vehicles.

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