Interview with Michael Kelnberger about car design in the future and the consequences for the development of the wiring systems in modern vehicles.
“SUVs are dead. VANs and Minicars will take over! “
What will it mean if no one needs to drive a car themselves anymore? What will cars look like at that point? And what technical framework must be created to manage this scenario?
As part of the „yourmdexpertise“ series, we talk to MD ELEKTRONIK Group experts about current topics as well as future topics in the automotive industry. So let´s meet Michael, Global Key Account Manager at MD. In todays interview we talk about his idea of what a car will look like in 2030, the consequences for the development of the wiring system and what MD is doing to be prepared.
Michael Kelnberger, Global Key Account Manager at MD
Michael, tell me a little about yourself privately and business wise:
As a father of two little girls I always try to juggle my job, family, friends and hobbies. Hence, for the next 20 years I will learn more about this famous and mysterious work-life-sleep balance. 😉
As a Global Key-Account-Manager I have the privilege of working with multiple international OEMs and Tier1s as well as with our diverse internal departments. This “glocal” perspective is super fascinating and keeps me going.
I am passionate about future sociological developments and therefore interested in the car 2030.
Let´s get started on this. What do you personally think will your car look like in 2030?
Autonomous and Flexible. Let’s assume that autonomous driving is real and widely spread at this time, at least on the highway and federal roads. Then the time, concentration and energy of the car driver can switch from the road to everything else. Let’s have a look at the use cases:
- In the morning I will drive to work or rather my car is driving for me. Anyway, I would like to check the news, my mails and the most important meetings/presentations for the day. Hence, I would like a comfortable seat, a calm atmosphere and to look at a big screen with highspeed internet connection, of course.
- At the weekend my family will drive to the grandparents or to the alps for a hike or skiing. As it is more pleasant to talk face to face to each other instead of communicating via the rear mirror, I will turn my seat around to the kids and play cards/memory with them at the table, without having my skis/sticks next to my face or over my head.
- No matter whether it is a long business trip or just an overnight stay at a party, lean back, noise-cancelling earphones on, darken or visualize the windows and let’s have a power nap.
The kids, the skis, the comfortable seat/mattress as well as the big screen, all of them have to find space in my future car. This strengthens the trend towards big cars and I am not talking about a fancy SUV. Big Cars like a Van or Bus will win from an exterior design perspective. The interior design will determine the luxury level and premium brands will find their market niche. For everything else like the inner-city traffic or short distances to the countryside, I will drive the family minicar. No need for SUVs.😉
What consequences does this have for the development of the wiring system?
So, the trend that I can see is clear. More data and more passenger-centric.
On the one hand all the sensors, cameras, chips and board computers need higher, faster and more streamlined data transfers to make autonomous driving possible. On the other hand, all the displays, screens and smart windows need data rates and power supply as well.
Those two push-factors will result in even more high-performance cables. The requirements will not only rise in terms of frequency but also with regards to electromagnetic compatibility, robustness and safety. This will lead to new technologies like Optical Ethernet and also to more automated production for the cable assembly and wiring harnesses.
Autonomous and more passenger-centric – the future of mobility is being shaped now
In the coming decade, autonomous driving will enable drivers to use their travel time and to interact with their passengers in a completely different way. In addition to the trend towards larger, more flexible interiors, the enormous increase in data streams is a key challenge for the automotive industry and its suppliers. High-performance and enormously reliable data connections are the backbone of this development. MD ELEKTRONIK is leading the way in these technologies, for example in the field of optical data transmission, and is driving these developments forward in cooperation with an international network of experts.
Contact MD now to find out more about the upcoming developments!
Michael Kelnberger
Michael Kelnberger is Global Key Account Manager in International Sales at MD. His mission is to sell MD’s high-end products to customers worldwide and to offer support as the first contact for the clients’ needs and demands. More than five years of international sales experience and an interdisciplinary as well as intercultural master’s degree make him an expert in this field.
“As a father of two little girls I always try to juggle my job, family, friends and hobbies. Hence, for the next 20 years I will learn more about this mysterious “work-life-sleep balance”. As a Global KAM I have the privilege of working with multiple international OEMs and Tier1s as well as with our diverse internal departments. This “glocal” perspective is super fascinating and keeps me going. I am passionate about future sociological developments and therefore interested in the car 2030.”