After two DVN-I editions focusing on Japan, this week we’re changing continent and culture to bring you an in-depth look at what and how interior innovations are developing on the American West Coast, traditionally the place where the American, Asian, and European automotive cultures overlap.
Los Angeles this year was a very EV-oriented show, but by no means exclusively so; SUVs and sedans were prominently present. New interior technologies were integrated in all kinds of vehicles with all kinds of powertrains. And the EVs making the biggest buzz weren’t small eco-focused items—the Tesla Cybertruck probably weighs several tons, and the Ford Mustang Mach E, no featherweight itself, is positioned as a sporty, high-performance car. In both cases, the new EV is probably not the most conservation-minded way to use energy for travel. No surprise; the U.S. market plus EV technology would have to equal something other than Kei cars!
Through these DVN-I newsletters, we’re showing you where safety is improving—front center airbags, for example. We’re highlighting new ways of reducing the environmental footprint automobiles—sustainable coatings, apple skin leathers. We’re showing how comfort is being catered for through active seats…how in-cabin noise is reduced…interior air quality is monitored and improved…and how smoking is automatically detected! Every aspect of our field is on the scene, but scattered across many different cars and applications. We’re not yet seeing convergence, cost being an obvious limiting factor. DVN-I’s broad technology perspective on occupant health and wellness is deliberate, in recognition of today’s scattered evolution of automotive interior technology and technique.
If you haven’t yet been to the new DVN-Interior website, do give it a look; there’s a convenient subscription button, and you can easily register for the DVN-I Munich Workshop taking place next month with the rubric “Automotive Interiors: New Technologies for New Usages”. There are still seats available as this issue of DVN-I goes live, but they’re likely to get snapped up in a hurry, so you’ll want to act now. And for those who have subscribed as DVN-Interior members, you can download this week new report about Interior lighing.
Sincerely yours,