Electric, Sustainable and Connected: Top Trends Driving the Auto Industry
The automotive industry is more than a century old, and it’s an ever-evolving industry with each year bringing new innovations and technologies transforming the way we move. This past year was no different.
Several industry trends – including the rise of electric vehicles, sustainability and connected technologies – kicked into high-gear in 2022 and are expected to continue revolutionizing the way vehicles are powered, produced and purchased in 2023 and beyond.
Electric Vehicles
In case you missed it, EVs made headline after headline over the past year as more models continue to hit the market each month and consumers increasingly turn their focus toward more efficient vehicles with low-to-zero emissions.
According to the International Energy Agency, EVs experienced a record year in 2020 after a decade of rapid growth with more than 10 million electric cars on the world’s roads. In the U.S., cumulative sales of EVs since 2010 totaled more than 2.3 million as of December 2021; and in the first quarter of 2022, Americans bought nearly twice as many EVs as they did in the first quarter of 2021. According to the latest data, 2022 has been the biggest year for electric vehicles in the U.S. on record with EVs reaching 6% of total car sales in the third quarter of 2022.
The expansion and maturity of the technology combined with the influx of consumers is allowing electric cars to be more affordable, more efficient and just better overall. Not only are there more than 50 models now commercially available on the U.S. market with more to come, but electric startups — and proud JVIS partners — Lucid Air and Rivian R1T were named Car of the Year and Truck of the Year by MotorTrend.
Along with the growth of electric vehicles themselves are innovations and expansions in the technologies that power them. At JVIS, we have been fortunate to partner with multiple California-based EV car companies in production and pre-production, developing a host of technologies to supplement and enhance the EV revolution. From high-tech charging stations to innovative battery enclosures, our products and technologies are helping make EVs smarter, safer and more efficient.
As EV sales continue to trend upward, leading automakers and vehicle brands are pushing along with suppliers and technology partners to develop innovations to increase EV battery range. JVIS is entering the fold with MicroHeat Automotive, a new PTC heating unit that is unique in the way it heats water and glycol. The advantage of this innovation delivers greater vehicle battery range by as much as 30-40% in the cold. JVIS is working on testing the heating technology with a few major automotive brands to do our part in eliminating range anxiety.
Sustainability
Over the past year, sustainability went from a hot topic of conversation to a necessary action item with more and more companies across all sectors moving from planning to integrating environmental practices into their core business strategy.
Unlike other industries, automotive companies are leading by example. According to the Capgemini Research Institute, the automotive industry is ahead of others in meeting worldwide sustainability standards, citing the industry’s well-defined goals, financial contributions and technological investments as steps in the right direction.
Take a look at our 2022 sustainability snapshot of what automotive leaders are doing to help advance the industry and save the planet.
Like many of our OEM partners, JVIS maintains a strong commitment to sustainability. We continue to go above and beyond state and federal requirements to set more comprehensive sustainability and environmental health goals, including:
- Electricity reduction.
- Investment in energy-reducing and environmentally friendly machinery.
- Reduction of heat emissions.
- Reduction of hazardous waste.
- Decrease noise pollution.
- Decrease air pollution.
- Achieve zero waste and no scraps.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle.
To reach these goals, JVIS has taken extra steps to get certified through the government in TOT, RCRA, ISO 14001 and stormwater, and meet or exceed all required emission standards at our facilities. These certifications have helped increase our eco-friendliness, reduce air emissions and reduce electricity use across the board. Additionally, JVIS recycles millions of pounds of manufacturing materials each year.
Another standard JVIS has set to reach our sustainability objective is tracking. We scheduled numerous environmental audits at our locations throughout the year to help us evaluate and improve our processes.
Looking Ahead
As a proud sponsor of the 2022 Detroit Auto Show, the JVIS team not only had the opportunity to share our innovative technology with attendees, but we were also able to connect and with our auto industry colleagues and get a look at some of the top vehicles that will be rolling out in 2023, including:
- The seventh-generation Ford Mustang
- 2023 Chrysler 300C
- Special Edition Chevrolet Equinox EV
- Cadillac LYRIQ
- Dodge Charger Daytona SRT ® Concept and Dodge Hornet
- 2023 Toyota Crown
- Subaru Ascent and Solterra
- Lexus Electrified Sport Concept; and
- Lincoln Model L100 Concept.
In addition to new exciting and innovative vehicle models hitting showrooms, the leading trends for 2023 are anticipated to be a continuation of the increased production of electric vehicles and ongoing sustainability efforts to reach zero-emissions targets. Automakers are also expected to continue the push toward integrating more connected and digital technologies into new vehicles.
In fact, estimates suggest that by 2030, nearly 95% of new vehicles sold globally will be connected, sharing Internet access and data with other devices inside and outside of the vehicle, according to Automotive World.
On top of the Internet of Things (IoT) making their way into nearly aspect of vehicles and transportation, rapidly evolving technologies are already playing a key role in in the automotive design process.
“With VR headsets, we can view complete assemblies, see a whole car in real time and collaborate with our partners remotely,” said Remon Jiddou, Director of Industrial Design at JVIS, who added that artificial intelligence is likely next on the auto industry’s tech horizon.
“From an industrial design standpoint, I feel that in the future AI will become more involved in the process and will be able to provide a number of iterations of a particular solution to a problem in ways that exceed our capabilities today,” Jiddou said. While there will likely still be a need for the human insight to guide that process along, the rapid advancement and integration of smart technologies, automation and additive manufacturing suggests that AI is going to be major part of the automotive industry.”