Signals & Stats : Daily Signals

Apple CarPlay screen in Volvo

Advert by Marshmallow Laser Feast and Imaginarium featuring the Volkswagen Passat, Germany

Mercedes F 015 and Suzuki Air Triser

Preview: Auto Market

By Guy Bird 18 : 11 : 2015 VW : Auto Market : Self-driving Car

Global – Talk of self-driving and electric cars has echoed for years. Our latest auto market explores when and how these innovations will come to fruition.

Automation could help reduce road deaths which are estimated by the World Health Organization at 1.275 million per annum
The fully autonomous car, however, is at least 15 years away, meaning teenagers should still learn to drive.

Ripe for disruption the auto industry is finally seeing changes that have been discussed for years come to market. Car manufacturers are seeking new relevance and exploring new means of appealing to millennials and Generation D, whose notions of freedom differ from those of generations past.

Our auto market explores the implications of the semi-autonomous and connected cars for both driving and design. As cars become more computerised and makers shift their demographic focus downwards, mega-system brands Google and Apple are moving offline and developing vehicles – not merely car-friendly interfaces such as Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto.

Increasingly autonomous cars will usher in an era of improved safety, with innovations such as adaptive cruise control leading to a predicted reduction in injuries of 20–50%, according to vehicle safety testing organisation Thatcham. Requiring less input from the driver and a shift in use of space, vehicle interiors are set to become less cockpit-like and closer to a domestic in-car lounge.