Computer chips have been part of cars for a long time, but no one really cares about them until they stop working or they are late to the production line, grinding manufacturing to an industry-shaking halt. However, the research within IDTechEx’s “Semiconductors for Autonomous and Electric Vehicles 2023-2033” report shows that trends within the automotive industry mean consumers will soon be caring far more about what chips are in their cars. IDTechEx expects that purchasing a new vehicle will soon feel like shopping for a new laptop.
What are the main concerns when buying a laptop? For most people, it will be things like how long the battery will last, how nice the screens are, and what computer chip it comes with. Evaluating a vehicle’s worth based on the number of cylinders, horsepower, and miles per gallon will soon be irrelevant. We already know that electric vehicles will be dominating the market soon, ticking off the choice of vehicle based on how long the battery lasts, but what about the other two criteria?
It has been hard to escape the screenification of car cabins over the past few years. Even the cheapest cars on the market are available with some kind of central display, while the top end of the market is heading towards pillar-to-pillar style screens in the front. When IDTechEx attended CES, it was clear to see that the future cabin interior would be filled with screens. While this might sound exciting at the outset, consumers should be aware that for the automotive industry, this is a means to an end, where the end is extracting more money from drivers. The screens will facilitate more premium features in the vehicle and likely more subscriptions.
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