My top moments of 2013 — so far

Paul Leroux

Yes, I know, 2013 isn’t over yet. But it’s been such a milestone year for our automotive business that I can’t wait another two months to talk about it. And besides, you’ll be busy as an elf at the end of December, visiting family and friends, skiing the Rockies, or buying exercise equipment to compensate for all those holiday carbs. Which means if I wait, you’ll never get to read this. So let’s get started.


We unveil a totally new (and totally cool) technology concept car

Times Square. We were there.

It all began at 2013 CES, when we took the wraps off the latest QNX technology concept car — a one-of-a-kind Bentley Continental GT. The QNX concept team outfitted the Bentley with an array of technologies, including a high-definition DLP display, a 3D rear-view camera, cloud-based voice recognition, smartphone connectivity, and… oh heck, just read the blog post to get the full skinny.

Even if you weren’t at CES, you could still see the car in action. Brian Cooley of CNET, Michael Guillory of Texas Instruments, the folks at Elektrobit, and Discovery Canada’s Daily Planet were just some of the individuals and organizations who posted videos. You could also connect to the car through a nifty web app. Heck, you could even see the Bentley’s dash on the big screen in Times Square, thanks to the promotional efforts of Elektrobit, who also created the 3D navigation software for the concept car.

We ship the platform
We wanted to drive into CES with all cylinders firing, so we also released version 2.0 of the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment. In fact, several customers in the U.S., Germany, Japan, and China had already started to use the platform, through participation in an early access program. Which brings me to the next milestone...

Delphi boards the platform

The first of many.

Also at CES, Delphi, a global automotive supplier and long-time QNX customer, announced that version 2.0 of the QNX CAR Platform will form the basis of its next-generation infotainment systems. As it turned out, this was just one of several QNX CAR customer announcements in 2013 — but I’m getting ahead of myself.

We have the good fortune to be featured in Fortune
Fast forward to April, when Fortune magazine took a look at how QNX Software Systems evolved from its roots in the early 1980s to become a major automotive player. Bad news: you need a subscription to read the article on the Fortune website. Good news: you can read the same article for free on CNN Money. ;-)

A music platform sets the tone for our platform
In April, 7digital, a digital music provider, announced that it will integrate its 23+ million track catalogue with the QNX CAR Platform. It didn't take long for several other partners to announce their platform support. These include Renesas (R-Car system-on-chip for high-performance infotainment), AutoNavi (mobile navigation technology for the Chinese market), Kotei (navigation engine for the Japanese market), and Digia (Qt application framework).

We stay focused on distraction
Back in early 2011, Scott Pennock of QNX was selected to chair an ITU-T focus group on driver distraction. The group’s objective was serious and its work was complex, but its ultimate goal was simple: to help reduce collisions. This year, the group wrapped up its work and published several reports — but really, this is only the beginning of QNX and ITU-T efforts in this area.

We help develop a new standard

Goodbye fragmentation; hello
standard APIs.

Industry fragmentation sucks. It means everyone is busy reinventing the wheel when they could be inventing something new instead. So I was delighted to see my colleague Andy Gryc become co-chair of the W3C Automotive and Web Platform Business Group, which has the mandate to accelerate the adoption of web technologies in the car. Currently, the group is working to draft a standard set of JavaScript APIs for accessing vehicle data information. Fragmentation, thy days are numbered.

We launch an auto safety program

A two-handed approach to
helping ADAS developers.

On the one hand, we have a 30-year history in safety-critical systems and proven competency in safety certifications. On the other hand, we have deep experience in automotive software design. So why not join both hands together and allow auto companies to leverage our full expertise when they are building digital instrument clusters, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and other in-car systems with safety requirements?

That’s the question we asked ourselves, and the answer was the new QNX Automotive Safety Program for ISO 26262. The program quickly drew support from several industry players, including Elektrobit, Freescale, NVIDIA, and Texas Instruments.

We jive up the Jeep

A tasty mix of HTML5 & Android
apps, served on a Qt interface,
with OpenGL ES on the side.

If you don’t already know, we use a Jeep Wrangler as our reference vehicle — basically, a demo vehicle outfitted with a stock version of the QNX CAR Platform. This summer, we got to trick out the Jeep with a new, upcoming version of the platform, which adds support for Android apps and for user interfaces based on the Qt 5 framework.

Did I mention? The platform runs Android apps in a separate application container, much like it handles HTML5 apps. This sandboxed approach keeps the app environment cleanly partitioned from the UI, protecting both the UI and the overall system from unpredictable web content. Good, that.

The commonwealth’s leader honors our leader

I only ate one piece. Honest.

Okay, this one has nothing to do with automotive, but I couldn’t resist. Dan Dodge, our CEO and co-founder, received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his many achievements and contributions to Canadian society. To celebrate, we gave Dan a surprise party, complete with the obligatory cake. (In case you’re wondering, the cake was yummy. But any rumors suggesting that I went back for a second, third, and fourth piece are total fabrications. Honestly, the stories people cook up.)

Mind you, Dan wasn’t the only one to garner praise. Sheridan Ethier, the manager of the QNX CAR development team, was also honored — not by the queen, but by the Ottawa Business Journal for his technical achievements, business leadership, and community involvement.

Chevy MyLink drives home with first prize — twice
There's nothing better than going home with first prize. Except, perhaps, doing it twice. In January, the QNX-based Chevy MyLink system earned a Best of CES 2013 Award, in the car tech category. And in May, it pulled another coup: first place in the "Automotive, LBS, Navigation & Safe Driving" category of the 2013 CTIA Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Awards.

Panasonic, Garmin, and Foryou get with the platform

Garmin K2 platform: because
one great platform deserves
another.

August was crazy busy — and crazy good. Within the space of two weeks, three big names in the global auto industry revealed that they’re using the QNX CAR Platform for their next-gen systems. Up first was Panasonic, who will use the platform to build systems for automakers in North America, Europe, and Japan. Next was Foryou, who will create infotainment systems for automakers in China. And last was Garmin, who are using the platform in the new Garmin K2, the company’s infotainment solution for automotive OEMs.

And if all that wasn’t cool enough…

Mercedes-Benz showcases the platform

Did I mention I want one?

When Mercedes-Benz decides to wow the crowds at the Frankfurt Motor Show, it doesn’t settle for second best. Which is why, in my not so humble opinion, they chose the QNX CAR Platform for the oh-so-desirable Mercedes-Benz Concept S-Class Coupé.

Mind you, this isn’t the first time QNX and Mercedes-Benz have joined forces. In fact, the QNX auto team and Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America have collaborated since the early 2000s. Moreover, QNX has supplied the OS for a variety of Mercedes infotainment systems. The infotainment system and digital cluster in the Concept S-Class Coupé are the latest — and arguably coolest — products of this long collaboration.

We create noise to eliminate noise

Taking a sound approach to
creating a quieter ride.

Confused yet? Don’t be. You see, it’s quite simple. Automakers today are using techniques like variable cylinder management, which cut fuel consumption (good), but also increase engine noise (bad). Until now, car companies have been using active noise control systems, which play “anti-noise” to cancel out the unwanted engine sounds. All fine and good, but these systems require dedicated hardware — and that makes them expensive. So we devised a software product, QNX Acoustics for Active Noise Control, that not only out-performs conventional solutions, but can run on the car’s existing audio or infotainment hardware. Goodbye dedicated hardware, hello cost savings.

And we flub our lines on occasion
Our HTML5 video series has given companies like Audi, OnStar, Gartner, TCS, and Pandora a public forum to discuss why HTML5 and other open standards are key to the future of the connected car. The videos are filled with erudite conversation, but every now and then, it becomes obvious that sounding smart in front of a camera is a little harder than it looks. So what did we do with the embarrassing bits? Create a blooper reel, of course.

Are these bloopers our greatest moments? Nope. Are they among the funniest? Oh yeah. :-)

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World Top 10 September 2013

"I'm Back, Baby!" - says the Outlander PHEV

Models - Mitsu Outlander is back

Profiting from a full month sales, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV continues to recover and is now looking to get the #5 Zoe.

In the remaining ranking, the C-Max Energi is tied in #7 with the Renault Kangoo ZE, both have 4.422 units, while the #10 Ford Fusion Energi is closing in to the #9 Mitsu I-Miev. 

Not present in this ranking, but worth noticing, the Volvo V60 Plug-In achieved a brilliant #6 position in September, mostly thanks to their success in the Netherlands.

Pl	WORLD	Sept.	YTD	%	'12Pl
1	Nissan Leaf	4.739	33.106	25	3
2	Chevrolet Volt (1)	2.073	19.997	15	1
3	Tesla Model S	2.062	14.850	11	7
4	Toyota Prius Plug-In	1.649	14.021	11	2
5	Renault Zoe	580	6.566	5	28
6	Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV	772	5.855	4	N/A
7	Ford C-Max Energi	768	4.422	3	9
7	Renault Kangoo ZE	630	4.422	3	6
9	Mitsubishi I-Miev (2)	210	3.672	3	5
10	Ford Fusion Energi	755	3.402	3	N/A
	TOTAL	17.119	132.727

Manufacturers - Volvo Jumps to #8

In the Manufacturers ranking, while the top spots remain stable, in the bottom positions we assist to a surprise appearance, with Volvo coming outside of the Top Ten to a surprising #8, surpassing BYD, Smart and Chery in just one month.

Pl	WORLD	Sept.	YTD	%	'12Pl
1	Nissan	4.732	33.106	25	3
2	Chevrolet	2.151	20.307	15	1
3	Toyota	1.846	15.001	11	2
4	Tesla	2.062	14.861	11	9
5	Renault	1.483	14.249	11	4
6	Mitsubishi	1.140	11.316	9	5
7	Ford	879	9.254	7	7
8	Volvo	797	2.513	2	16
9	Chery e)	200	2.400	2	6
10	Smart	324	2.221	2	15

(1) - Includes Holden Volt, Opel and Vauxhall Ampera;
(2) - Includes Citröen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn.
(e) - Estimate


Questions for October

1 - Which model will be #2 in October?

2 - Which model will be #7?

3 - Can Toyota hold on to #3?

4 - How will Mitsubishi behave?

5 - Can Volvo repeat the #8 of September?

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Technology focus - Engine Downsizing and Downspeeding

You may have heard the term – Engine Downsizing. It’s a hot topic in the automotive world and many car manufacturers are hurriedly developing ‘downsized’ engines to meet current and future emission regulations. Some, like VW are already ahead of the game and have these engines in production to buy today. But what does this concept actually mean? What are the benefits to this approach? And what are the technical challenges? 

Improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions are the major challenge faced by vehicle manufacturers developing future passenger car powertrains. Gasoline engine downsizing is the process whereby the speed / load operating point is moved to a more efficient operating region (at higher load) through the reduction of engine capacity, whilst maintaining the full load performance via pressure charging. Downsizing concepts based on turbocharged, direct injection engines are a very cost effective solution. The most significant technical challenges for such fuel efficient turbocharged GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) are providing the required low end torque and in addition,  a suitable transient response to give the required levels of engine flexibility and drivability.

Fig 1 - What is downsizing?

In downsized engines, by applying a refined single stage charging concept, the full engine torque can be available as low as 1250 rpm. This can be combined with a specific power of 80kW/l. With the use of dual stage boosting, High torque, with a specific power > 140 kW/l is achievable. In conjunction with some other new technologies - exhaust cooling, cooled external EGR at high load - this results in a significant improvement of the real world fuel economy. In addition, efficient spray guided, stratified charge systems are utilised to gain further improvements. The overall goal is to create an engine with excellent high load performance and durability, and to operate the engine in this high-load region as much of the time as possible. The combination of GDI and turbo charging, implemented on a small displacement engine, is the good basis to combine high real world fuel economy with an acceptable performance - even under a stringent CO2-scenario.

Fig 2 - Downsized engine - torque/speed/fuel consumption - development over time

Why Downsize?

In the past gasoline engines were perceived as a very cost effective Powertrain solution. Emissions were not that important as long as three way catalyst technology was used to ‘mop up’ the exhaust. Fuel economy was not really the primary target. If you wanted good fuel economy, you’d buy a diesel! But, on the other hand, diesel engines needed considerable technological effort in order to meet emission legislation, and diesel engine developers were allowed to introduce rather costly technologies in order to meet these emission targets.  The key word was: “emission is a must; low fuel consumption is nice to have”. In current times, there’s a new direction, and that is CO2 reduction.  This discussion is significantly enhanced by a penalty tax for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) not meeting future CO2 limits. Now as CO2 is seen as a harmful emission, gasoline engine developers get a chance to invest in some fuel economy technology. With Gasoline engines in particular, downsizing/downspeeding concepts based on turbocharged GDI, seem to be in pole position for the race of the most accepted technology for reducing fuel consumption - whilst keeping the additional benefit of performance and drivability (when compared to a traditional diesel).

Fig 3 - The technical challenges to achieving a downsized engine concept can be considerable

Technology and Challenges of Downsizing
So what are the technical aspects of a downsized engine?  It’s a small engine that produces high power. So, it’s operating much closer to the thermal and physical limits of the materials used in construction of the major engine components. It needs to have the following attributes:

• A well designed combustion system that allows high compression ratios to promote efficiency
• It needs to have excellent low speed torque, as most of the engine power is produced via the torque – like a diesel engine
• It needs to have good, transient response to give an appealing performance to fulfil driver expectations
• Good fuel economy – reduced requirements for full load enrichment
• Very robust and durable base engine design

In order to achieve the above engine profile, there are a number of technologies in development and use. They can be used in combination with each other, or in conjunction with other technologies for CO2 reduction (like mild-hybridisation and start/stop) - some of the technologies specifically involved in a 'downsized' engine package are:

• Direct Gasoline Injection
• Turbo and super charging
• Cooled EGR
• Active Exhaust cooling
• Variable valve timing

Fig 4 - Cooled turbocharger housing - no need to run rich to control high exhaust temperatures, thus saving fuel (Source: AVL)

Downspeeding

This is another similar approach, often mentioned in the same context as downsizing. It involves moving the most frequently used engine operating point, to where it is more efficient (as downsizing does, but in this case, lower speed instead of higher load). At lower engine speed, a higher torque is needed to maintain the required power. The advantage of low speed operation is that friction losses are reduced (due to lower rubbing speeds between components). In addition, this concept provides real fuel savings as fuel consumption efficiency often increases with lower engine speed. The technical challenge is that high torque means high load on all engine components, this increases material costs to cope with these loads. Also, Down speed engines need to have a fast torque build up, in order to meet the requirements for transient response. This requires as a minimum pressure charging, and in addition, perhaps some other technical approach to be able to produce the required torque – for example, electrical assisted Powertrain, or electrical assist for the turbo/supercharger.

De-rating

Another less common but viable alternative to downsizing is de-rating, especially for diesel engines. De-rating means to limit the power output of a given engine design - that is, not going to the specific power extremes of the design (power density typically limited at ~ 45 kW/L). The advantage here is that this lessens the requirement for a sophisticated engine design with expensive high-end components, due to lower PFP (peak firing pressure). Of course, for such de-rating concepts, viability has to be investigated with respect to the expected production volume, costs, image, regional market aspects, etc. - these factors all have to be taken into consideration.

Fig 5 - Comparison of concepts downsizing vs. de-rating (Source: AVL)

De-rating also offers the potential of commonality between Gasoline & Diesel engine family production. With increased number of common parts with gasoline engines, this leads to increased production volumes and consequently lower cost.

Summary

It’s a fact that downsizing is the current way forward; you can see in the market that most manufacturers have, or are currently developing, engines with lower displacements and better CO2 figures - maintaining the same power density. That’s all fine – if we can squeeze more out of an engine, increase its efficiency whilst maintaining durability, then that’s a win-win all round.

Developments in material technology and engine design have facilitated this opportunity, but future powertrains will need more than just smaller displacements to achieve forthcoming emission regulations, without sacrificing the driving experience.

So, downsizing and down speeding will be adopted in conjunction with other technologies. The reason is the smaller engines produce less torque, even highly boosted smaller engines, and the market will not accept ‘sluggish’ vehicles in today’s modern traffic. As we move towards micro and mild hybrids, and start/stop technology, the electric motor, as a torque supporting element becomes even more viable! An electric motor can produces full torque at low speed, and for short time torque boosting, is an ideal option to fill the gap in future downsized powertrains.

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Markets Roundup September 2013

Tesla Model S is making an impact in Europe

Tesla Crosses The Pond Edition

After leading for a few months the EV ranking in the US, the Tesla Model S is now making waves across the Atlantic, where for the first time ever an EV was #1 in the general ranking in Norway.

But it wasn't just in Norway that Tesla was #1, it also won the best selling EV crown in Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium, as well as #2 and best selling BEV in both Canada and Netherlands.

Trends in the G7

The US market continues on a high note with a close fight for Number One between the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf, but the real news are Norway and the Netherlands, in the first case, besides the aforementioned Model S achievement, the global EV market also beat the monthly sales record, with 1.040 units sold, with the September EV share registering an out-of-this-world 9% share!

As for the Dutch Market, it's also on fire, breaking for the second time on a row the monthly sales record, now scoring 1.340 units, a formidable performance that pulled the EV share to 1,93%, double the share it had a year ago.

Besides these two hot markets, other two EV shares are also growing, in a moderate rate, like France (0,82% vs 0,66% in '12) and the USA (0,57% vs 0,39%), while the others are marginally better than last year.

After a five month hiatus, the Mitsu Outlander Plug-in recovered the monthly #1 spot in Japan, and is now looking to bring back the YTD leadership from the Nissan Leaf.


Other Markets

A surprising fact this month is that the Renault EV with more #1's crowns is...The Fluence ZE! Yes, despite selling just a few dozens, in September the french sedan achieved the Number One spot in Spain and Hong Kong, this last one is now a Renault stronghold, with the Fluence having 56% share there. With Renault-Samsung readying the production of the SM3 ZE in South Korea, the dodgy electric sedan might benefit from a second life in Asia.

Until the end of the year, another two countries will join the electric bandwagon: South Africa and South Korea, the first through the arrival of the Nissan Leaf, the second with two domestic EV's: The Samsung SM3 ZE and the Chevrolet Spark EV.


Fragmented Markets

With frequent podium changes, one might think that the US market would be the most fragmented market, only it's not, Switzerland holds that title, as a result of 6 different monthly leaders, the Citröen C-Zero (Jan), Mitsu I-Miev (Feb), Nissan Leaf (Mar), Renault Twizy (Apr & May), Renault Zoe (Jun & Jul) and Tesla Model S (Aug & Sep), the result is that the YTD #1 (Zoe) and #2 (Twizy) are separated by just one unit and both have just 21% share, 4% less than the Chevy Volt in the US. But that's not all, the #3 (Leaf) is not that far off, with 17% share and even the fourth, the Model S (13% share) has a shot of reaching #1 this year, so we're talking of 4 pretenders at the best selling crown with just three months to go. Interesting, eh?


Questions for October

1 - Where will be beaten the next sales records?

2 - Who will be the US #1?

3 - Who will be #1 in the Netherlands?

4 - Will the Zoe recover the #1 spot in France?

5 - Will the BMW i3 reach #1 in Germany?

6 - Where will the Tesla Model S perform better?

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EV Business Case Q3 - 2013

Tesla is banking on european waiting lists

Waiting Lists Edition

With several waiting lists around the world, mounting to several thousand reservations, Tesla has its hands full to satisfy all of them, right now Europe's waiting lists are being delivered, to be followed early next year by Asia and left-hand drive countries, so only in the next Spring on we'll see if Tesla sales isn't just a early adopter thing and can keep growing without the need of reservation lists.

Volvo also had a unexpected success with the Volvo V60 Plug-In, especially in the Netherlands, where in a certain moment it had a thousands waiting list, now being delivered, and now responsible for a surprising #1 spot there. A promising start for the swedish automaker.

Speaking of Netherlands, Mitsubishi has allegedly a 8.000 waiting list in the Low Countries and more than 10.000 reservations of the Outlander Plug-In in Europe, an already enormous number that still has the thousands of japanese reservations left out. Mitsu will need several months to satisfy all these reservations, so it's no surprise that  the US landing of the japanese SUV was postponed several months, they just don't produce enough cars to satisfy all this demand.

BMW i3 "Angry Puppy" look

BMW - When the bavarian automaker announced the "i" sub-brand, with the advanced carbon fibre platform and two dedicated plug-ins, i feared they would be sold with speculative prices to a selected few, but to my surprise, the prices aren't that high (For a premium plug-in, at least), with the i3 starting at some 40.000$ and the i8 at 135.000$. Too bad that the i3 side profile was ruined...But still, BMW conservative sales goals should be surpassed and next year some 15.000 "i's" might be zooming down the streets, so their profitability should be a slam dunk.

Ford - After the first baby steps (Focus Electric), then came the Energi brothers to put the american learning to walk and now, with the first steps in Europe, it's preparing itself to run along Renault, Toyota or Mitsubishi. Battery costs must be down and it won't be long for an extensive price cut (2014 models?). As for the second generation of batteries, a tip: Make them smaller, so it won't ruin trunk space...

Renault - Two Words for their bad sales moment: Batteries and Rentals. The first bad option was delivering cars without the battery ownership option, cutting off sales, aggravated by the high rental/low mileage ratio. The second bad option has to do with the fact that the french manufacturer concentrated its focus just in Europe, almost completely ignoring the rest of the world, where 3 (USA, Japan and China) out the 4 largest EV markets are...And Renault's presence in ev-friendly scandinavian countries can only be classified as Marginal...

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Europe September 2013

Nissan Leaf is the most common EV in Europe

Fresh Blood Edition

Finally a great month for plug-ins in Europe, with 5.362 units sold, September '13 now stands as the highmark to beat in the future, this brilliant result can is due mostly to two models now selling like hotcakes: The Tesla Model S and the Volvo V60 Plug-In, two high-end cars that sold more in September than most of its competition, that cost half their price.

But the Number One spot this month went for the Nissan Leaf, which sold 1.175 units, selling above the 1.000 figure for the first time and demonstrating again that price matters...

...Or does it? Looking at the rest of the September podium, one might doubt that, because in second came the 70.000$-plus Tesla Model S, with 1.012 new registrations, allowing it to climb six positions to #9 YTD, and the third place went for the 50.000$ Volvo V60 Plug-In (Sold 797 units, most of them in Holland), climbing another position to #5 in the YTD chart.

In fourth came the rock-solid Renault Kangoo ZE with 608 units (Best result of the year) and in fifth we finally see the Renault Zoe, with 579 vehicles sold, a poor result if we remember that in June it had sold 1.358 units and dominated both monthly and YTD charts. Even its stablemate Kangoo ZE sold more this month than the french supermini, so Renault now must be thinking on ways to spur sales (*cough* Discounts *cough*) of its problem-child.

Further down the ranking, we see the Opel Ampera recover one position to #7, still way behind last year performance (A year ago it was #2 with 3.491 sales), and in #15 it's now the Renault Fluence ZE, just one unit ahead (304 vs 303) of the #16 Peugeot iOn.

Pl	Europe	Sept.	YTD	%	'12Pl
1	Nissan Leaf	1.175	7.343	21	4
2	Renault Zoe	579	6.564	19	21
3	Renault Kangoo ZE	608	4.397	13	3
4	Toyota Prius Plug-In	205	2.738	8	5
5	Volvo V60 Plug-In	797	2.472	7	22
6	Renault Twizy	201	2.380	7	1
7	Opel Ampera	217	1.649	5	2
8	Smart Fortwo ED	177	1.627	5	12
9	Tesla Model S	1.012	1.298	4	N/A
10	Chevrolet Volt	31	863	3	11
11	Mitsubishi I-Miev	55	637	2	8
12	Citröen C-Zero	11	434	1	6
13	Goupil G3	39	418	1	14
14 15	Bolloré Blue Car Renault Fluence ZE	70 48	358 304	1 1	9 10
	TOTAL	5.362	34.293

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Top 10 challenges facing the ADAS industry

Tina Jeffrey

It didn’t take long. Just months after the release of the ISO 26262 automotive functional safety standard in 2011, the auto industry began to grasp its importance and adopt it in a big way. Safety certification is gaining traction in the industry as automakers introduce advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), digital instrument clusters, heads-up displays, and other new technologies in their vehicles.

Governments around the world, in particular those of the United States and the European Union, are calling for the standardization of ADAS features. Meanwhile, consumers are demonstrating a readiness to adopt these systems to make their driving experience safer. In fact, vehicle safety rating systems are becoming a vital ‘go to’ information resource for new car buyers. Take, for example, the European New Car Assessment Programme Advanced (Euro NCAP Advanced). This organization publishes safety ratings on cars that employ technologies with scientifically proven safety benefits for drivers. The emergence of these ratings encourages automakers to exceed minimum statutory requirements for new cars.

Sizing the ADAS market
ABI Research claims that the global ADAS market, estimated at US$16.6 billion at the end of 2012, will grow to more than US$260 billion by the end of 2020, representing a CAGR of 41%. Which means that cars will ship with more of the following types of safety-certified systems:



The 10 challenges
So what are the challenges that ADAS suppliers face when bringing systems to market? Here, in my opinion, are the top 10:

1. Safety must be embedded in the culture of every organization in the supply chain. ADAS suppliers can't treat safety as an afterthought that is tacked on at the end of development; rather, they must embed it into their development practices, processes, and corporate culture. To comply with ISO 26262, an ADAS supplier must establish procedures associated with safety standards, such as design guidelines, coding standards and reviews, and impact analysis procedures. It must also implement processes to assure accountability and traceability for decisions. These processes provide appropriate checks and balances and allow for safety and quality issues to be addressed as early as possible in the development cycle.
    
2. ADAS systems are a collaborative effort. Most ADAS systems must integrate intellectual properties from a number of technology partners; they are too complex to be developed in isolation by a single supplier. Also, in a safety-certified ADAS system, every component must be certified — from the underlying hardware (be it a multi-core processor, GPU, FPGA, or DSP) to the OS, middleware, algorithms, and application code. As for the application code, it must be certified to the appropriate automotive safety integrity level; the level for the ADAS applications listed above is typically ASIL D, the highest level of ISO 26262 certification.
    
3. Systems may need to comply with multiple industry guidelines or specifications. Besides ISO 26262, ADAS systems may need to comply with additional criteria, as dictated by the tier one supplier or automaker. On the software side, these criteria may include AUTOSAR or MISRA. On the hardware side, they will include AEC-Q100 qualification, which involves reliability testing of auto-grade ICs at various temperature grades. ICs must function reliably over temperature ranges that span -40 degrees C to 150 degrees C, depending on the system.
    
4. ADAS development costs are high. These systems are expensive to build. To achieve economies of scale, they must be targeted at mid- and low-end vehicle segments. Prices will then decline as volume grows and development costs are amortized, enabling more widespread adoption.
    
5. The industry lacks interoperability specifications for radar, laser, and video data in the car network. For audio-video data alone, automakers use multiple data communication standards, including MOST (media-oriented system transport), Ethernet AVB, and LVDS. As such, systems must support a multitude of interfaces to ensure adoption across a broad spectrum of possible interfaces. Also, systems may need additional interfaces to support radar or lidar data.
    
6. The industry lacks standards for embedded vision-processing algorithms. Ask 5 different developers to develop a lane departure warning system and you’ll get 5 different solutions. Each solution will likely start with a Matlab implementation that is ported to run on the selected hardware. If the developer is fortunate, the silicon will support image processing primitives (a library of functions designed for use with the hardware) to accelerate development. TI, for instance, has a set of image and video processing libraries (IMGLIB and VLIB) optimized for their silicon. These libraries serve as building blocks for embedded vision processing applications. For instance, IMGLIB has edge detection functions that could be used in a lane departure warning application.
    
7. Data acquisition and data processing for vision-based systems is high-bandwidth and computationally intensive. Vision-based ADAS systems present their own set of technical challenges. Different systems require different image sensors operating at different resolutions, frame rates, and lighting conditions. A system that performs high-speed forward-facing driver assistance functions such as road sign detection, lane departure warning, and autonomous emergency breaking must support a higher frame rate and resolution than a rear-view camera that performs obstacle detection. (A rear-view camera typically operates at low speeds, and obstacles in the field of view are in close proximity to the vehicle.) Compared to the rear-view camera, an LDW, AEB, or RSD system must acquire and process more incoming data at a faster incoming frame rate, before signaling the driver of an unintentional lane drift or warning the driver that the vehicle is exceeding the posted speed limit.
    
8. ADAS cannot add to driver distraction. There is an increase in the complexity of in-vehicle tasks and displays that can result in driver information overload. Systems are becoming more integrated and are presenting more data to the driver. Information overload could result in high cognitive workload, reducing situational awareness and countering the efficacy of ADAS. Systems must therefore be easy to use and should make use of the most appropriate modalities (visual, manual, tactile, sound, haptic, etc.) and be designed to encourage driver adoption. Development teams must establish a clear specification of the driver-vehicle interface early on in development to ensure user and system requirements are aligned.
    
9. Environmental factors affect ADAS. ADAS systems must function under a variety of weather and lighting conditions. Ideally, vision-based systems should be smart enough to understand when they are operating in poor visibility scenarios such as heavy fog or snow, or when direct sunlight shines into the lens. If the system detects that the lens is occluded or that the lighting conditions are unfavorable, it can disable itself and warn the driver that it is non-operational. Another example is an ultrasonic parking sensor that becomes prone to false positives when encrusted with mud. Combining the results of different sensors or different sensor technologies (sensor fusion) can often provide a more effective solution than using a single technology in isolation.
    
10. Testing and validating is an enormous undertaking. Arguably, testing and validation is the most challenging aspect of ADAS development, especially when it comes to vision systems. Prior to deploying a commercial vision system, an ADAS development team must amass hundreds if not thousands of hours of video clips in a regression test database, in an effort to test all scenarios. The ultimate goal is to achieve 100% accuracy and zero false positives under all possible conditions: traffic, weather, number of obstacles or pedestrians in the scene, etc. But how can the team be sure that the test database comprises all test cases? The reality is that they cannot — which is why suppliers spend years testing and validating systems, and performing extensive real-world field-trials in various geographies, prior to commercial deployment.
     

There are many hurdles to bringing ADAS to mainstream vehicles, but clearly, they are surmountable. ADAS systems are commercially available today, consumer demand is high, and the path towards widespread adoption is paved. If consumer acceptance of ADAS provides any indication of societal acceptance of autonomous drive, we’re well on our way.

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Spain September 2013

The domestic-made Renault Twizy is Spain's most populat EV

Surprise Leader Edition

There were 103 plug-ins sold last month in Spain, with some surprises appearing in the ranking, the monthly leader was the Renault Fluence ZE, selling 35 units in one month, a personal record and almost certainly a unique phenomenon due to some sales push (Fleet deal? Rock-bottom discounts?) by Renault.

Behind the french sedan, the silver medal went for the Nissan Leaf (20 units), more and more leader YTD.

The Renault Zoe won the bronze medal (18 units), closing in to the YTD third place of its stablemate Renault Twizy (11 units).

Further down the ranking, we welcome a new plug-in model, nonetheless than the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, selling their first five units, a strong start for a car that costs over 100.000$.

Pl	Spain	Sept.	YTD	%	'12Pl
1	Nissan Leaf	20	163	24	3
2	Renault Twizy	11	149	22	1
3	Renault Zoe	18	139	20	N/A
4	Mitsubishi I-Miev	6	120	17	9
5	Renault Fluence ZE	35	38	6	4
6	Toyota Prius Plug-In		34	5	6
7	Smart Fortwo ED	2	19	3	13
8	Renault Kangoo ZE	6	7	1	2
9 9	Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid Opel Ampera	5	5 5	1 1	N/A 8
11 12 13	Peugeot iOn Citröen C-Zero Chevrolet Volt		4 2 1	1 0 0	5 6 11
	TOTAL	103	686	100

Source: Autoblog.es

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