Cockpit of the Future -- What Drives Design

Designing instrument panels that allow drivers to use their phones to take the place of expensive cockpit screens, head units and CPUs could make vehicles more affordable. The strategy already is in production in Europe and a Wards Intelligence North American industry survey shows the concept could be widely adopted. Many hurdles remain, but those who ignore this trend do so at their peril. India now is the world’s third-largest automotive market, and it is almost 100% entry-level vehicles.

This tracker looks at cabin monitoring and the emerging technologies being developed to keep driver and occupants safe and comfortable. Also includes upcoming Euro NCAP and NHTSA rules for child presence detection and driver impairment detection, a list of cabin monitoring system suppliers, and recent survey results covering cabin monitoring technology acceptance.  

Of all the future concepts we’ve reviewed, the Mercedes F 015 Luxury in Motion concept car predicts 2030 technologies most accurately. For instance, it has a pillar-to-pillar display that bears a striking resemblance to a screen that interior supplier Continental says will go into production as early as 2024 (Continental won’t identify the customer).

Despite some OEMs totally removing or promising to eliminate leather from cockpits in the future – especially in battery-electric vehicles – Wards Intelligence research predicts most automakers – with some notable exceptions – will end up hedging their bets and will offer a variety of leather and non-leather options to accommodate all buyer demographics for the foreseeable future.

The growth of electric vehicles and environmental concerns worldwide is creating demand for more sustainable interior materials that occupants can see and touch.

“Cockpit of the future” stirs images of giant pillar-to-pillar screens and lavish immersive user experiences. Those are coming in ultra-premium luxury EVs as soon as this year, but in the world of high-volume personal vehicles and commercial trucks, there will be many different cockpits of the future, delineated by purpose, segments and price. Many won’t have screens at all; they will be BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).

Electrification and autonomy are transforming vehicle cabins, but not as fast as thought during the heady days of 2015. This special report looks at what's likely in the transformation of vehicle cockpits over the next few years and how safety considerations are helping to drive design.

Vehicle occupant safety and comfort are evolving as the cabin is redesigned to accommodate advanced driver assistance features, autonomous driving and vehicle electrification. This report looks at key players in the market and their efforts to keep up with new technological needs and new crash safety rules and zero-fatality goals.