Navigating the Fast Lane: Top Trends Driving the Automotive Industry
The automotive industry never stops evolving, and over the past year the transformation taking place across the industry has been in high gear, paving the way for a future of smarter, more sustainable and more efficient vehicles.
At JVIS, we are fortunate to partner with some of the leading automakers and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers in developing innovative products, cutting-edge designs, and revolutionary materials and technologies. That’s why we wanted to share some of the highlights from 2023 along with top trends shaping the automotive landscape in 2024.
Sustainable Designs
With the global priority to reduce climate change putting the shift from gas-powered to EVs in the front seat, automakers continued their sustainability efforts to meet evolving industry standards for safety, emissions testing and energy efficiency, while at the same time meeting consumer expectations and demand.
This involves everything from more sleek, aerodynamic exterior profiles and advanced batteries to sustainable materials and more efficient interior systems as automakers look for ways to reduce weight, improve fuel efficiency and decrease emissions.
JVIS is at the forefront of a transformational manufacturing innovation where this is applied using plastics to make car parts known as blow molding.
“Products we produce like blow-molded seatbacks, dust shields, and HVAC and cooling ducts help reduce weight in vehicles, which is critical to improving performance and efficiency, especially in EVs,” said Jon Mandziara, program manager at JVIS. “Like any other automotive technology, the blow-mold process is ever evolving to meet the goals of automakers today, especially when it comes to sustainability. That’s why all the products JVIS currently produces are 100% recyclable.”
Parts and Components Electrifying the Road
This year has been another pivotal one for the electrification of vehicles. While advanced battery technologies, electric motors and sophisticated power management systems have taken center stage, this shift has also redefined how parts and components are created.
We saw this firsthand this year working collaboratively with companies to deliver technology and components uniquely optimized for EVs and continuously seeking out novel concepts, technologies and procedures.
Our partners at Faraday Future (FF), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company, completed its first production build vehicle, FF91 Futurist, coming off its production line and announced the official start of production (SOP) of the all-new Ultimate Intelligent TechLuxury FF 91 Futurist Alliance.
As JVIS President and CEO Jason Murar shared in an interview this year with EV Magazine, our team assisted FF in almost every facet of the project, from the initial product development to testing and validation for components and electrical solutions used in Faraday Future’s vehicles.
“In the EV market, you see a lot of change with smart panels, which are now highly integrated into both the exterior and interior of vehicles,” Murar said. “We’re taking static panels and turning them into functional panels, giving expanded use of the vehicle, using components like sensors and software to increase the user’s experience through soft-close doors and ambient lighting.”
Lightweighting and Alternative Materials
In the pursuit of fuel efficiency and improved performance, the use of alternative materials was a hot topic this year for carmakers and manufacturers. The driving force behind the quest for better fuel economy and emissions economy is known in the auto industry as lightweighting, which refers to the concept of building cars and trucks using lightweight materials and parts.
In our work with numerous electric vehicle companies, lightweighting is a dominant part of the innovative work at JVIS. We introduced various products to EV companies that not only reduce weight up to 40% but also reduce costs.
“More and more of the emphasis across the automotive industry is on weight savings, since accelerating a lighter object uses less energy than a heavy one,” said Darius Preisler, vice president of research and development at JVIS. “We take a comprehensive ‘art to part’ approach to product development, implementation and production, which allows us to develop products incorporating alternative and more sustainable materials that not only reduce the overall weight of a vehicle but also its fuel consumption and emissions.”
The Road Ahead
The automotive landscape underwent remarkable transformation in 2023, driven in large part by the industry’s collective commitment and action around innovation and sustainability. As we move into 2024, the continued evolution of electric vehicles, development of new materials, and advancements in design and manufacturing processes will no doubt further redefine the way we think about the way we move. All of us at JVIS are ready to set the course for an exciting ride into the future of automotive.