Automotive Electronics Development: It Takes A Village (…Ecosystem) (.PDF Download)

Automotive Electronics Development: It Takes A Village (…Ecosystem) (.PDF Download)
Dec. 21, 2017

What’s driving (if you pardon the pun) the rise in automotive electronic content? Figure 1 shows the forecast for the next few years, but we’ve seen a steady rise in the number and complexity of electronic modules in vehicles for several decades:

  • Increasingly stringent emissions and fuel-economy regulations continue to be implemented worldwide.
  • Consumer appetite is more voracious than ever for convenience and safety features such as electric seats, mirrors, cruise control, LED lighting, antilock braking (ABS), and electronic stability control (ESC).
  • In high-end vehicles, broadband wireless connectivity has connected the vehicle to a vast range of external services: infotainment; internet weather and traffic information; GPS; and communications services like GM’s OnStar.

1. As vehicles add more electronic systems to meet consumer demand and satisfy new regulations, the per-vehicle semiconductor content will steadily ramp up.  (Source: TI “Get on the fast-track with automotive system innovation with Texas Instruments” PDF, p. 2)

Two emerging markets are now beginning to make their mark on electronic content—electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles.

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